Shadows of the Forgotten
by cas.92
Summary: After being with Daryl and her group for so long, how will Riley fair on her own? She was thought dead, but she isn't done just yet. DarylxOC M for language, violence, and adult situations. Sequel to Footsteps of the Damned.
1. Separation

**Author's Note:**

It's that time of the year again people. The sequel is finally here :)

Like the last one, I'll be posting a chapter every weekday around noon-ish my time, leading up to season 4.

What else should be here... oh, right. This fanfic is based mainly on the tv show plot line with additions from the comics, the Telltale video game, and my brain. All the canon characters and plot line's don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them. Koodos to Robert Kirkman for the awesome comics.

And, like always, I'll give you guys a general warning of language, violence, and adult situations. Other than that, enjoy :)

* * *

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 1 - Separation**

* * *

I had always been someone who put others first, yet I hadn't expected the extent of my generosity. Standing in the middle of a field full of flesh eating corpses wasn't exactly how I had planned the apocalypse to turn out, but there I was, being the hero.

It was a bitter thought, knowing you had finally found people that you've come to love, only for them to be taken away so easily. They had become like a family to me- no, they were family. Rick, Glenn, Andrea, Dale, even Tyreese- all of them were family to me.

Then there was Daryl, the asshole redneck that wouldn't give you the time of day unless you had something worthwhile for him. He had become something more than just family, something more than I would have ever thought possible for someone like him. My raison d'etre.

Before I made the connection with him, I was just surviving, getting through each day without being eaten alive. It wasn't untill he, of all people, told me off, telling me to look on the bright side of things that I finally started living. If I hadn't been there when he said it, I wouldn't have believed it, but it had happened and it had helped more than he would ever know.

Now I had something to fight for- people to live for- and I wasn't going to give up. I may have lost them permanently, but I was damn well going to keep going until I knew for sure.

Even as my legs screamed at me for a break and my arms refused to lift my blades, I still kept running. There were walkers at every turn I made, reaching out with their decomposing arms to grab me and tear into my flesh. For each one I killed, it felt like two more appeared. I kept running though, even as they chased after me hungrily. If not for the walkers' endurance I could have gotten clear of them and rested, but they kept after me relentlessly.

I cursed under my breath as my foot caught on a root and I fell forward into the dirt, one of my blades digging into my side. I didn't move- couldn't move. My body was beyond exhausted and no amount of will could get me up. Maybe this was it. An end to the nightmare we've all been living- a way out. When I looked at it that way, it made things easier. I wouldn't have to run anymore, wouldn't have to fight, and I wouldn't have to mourn the death of my friends as they perished on by one.

The hell'd I say 'bout thinkin' like that, Blondie? Daryl's voice scolded. You best cut that shit out.

I shut my eyes quickly, not wanting to see the image of him my mind wanted so badly to create.

"Stop calling me 'Blondie'," I muttered.

I felt my chest tighten as his chuckling filled my ears. You know I only call you that when others are 'round.

I opened my eyes, checking for anyone, but I was alone. No walkers, no people, just me... And Daryl.

So you're givin' up, huh? He asked, crouching down beside me.

"I'm not..."

Don't gimme that crap, he snapped. You promised, so get off your ass.

With a grunt, I tried to pull myself up, wincing at how sore my muscles were.

Atta girl.

The roads were littered with walkers as the remaining survivors made their way to the highway. They had been separated into different vehicles, going down different roads, but their destinations were all the same. The spot where they had encountered the first horde was a spot everyone knew and that everyone would head to. Rick, Carl, and Hershel had been the first there, but they had no idea if the others would show up or if they were even still alive.

"We have to go back for mom," Carl instructed anxiously. "We can't leave without her."

Looking down at his son, Rick had to push back his desire to agree and hop back into the car. He had seen the other survivors in their vehicles and he knew they were out there somewhere. The only problem was that the odds of finding them weren't looking too good.

"Carl, it's not safe..." Rick explained. "We have to-"

The revving of a motorcycle cut him short and he looked up quickly, watching as Daryl's bike came into view. The three of them exchanged smiles, each one growing wider as more vehicles pulled in behind him, coming to a stop around the trio.

"Mom!"

Carl ran forward and hugged Lori closely as Rick walked forward to join them. Many of the others ran to embrace each other, but there were a few that looked around frantically for their missing friends and family.

Daryl knew Riley wouldn't be there, yet he couldn't help the feeling of loss and anger. He had left her there alone, waiting to die at the hands of the walkers and he was pissed at himself for letting that happen.

"Where's Riley?"

Aleah's question made Daryl's body tense and he gripped onto the strap of his crossbow.

"She stayed behind so Daryl and I could escape," Carol sobbed, holding Sophia in her arms.

Aleah's gaze immediately turned to Daryl, her eyes narrowing. "You left her there? What the hell's wrong with you?"

It took all of his willpower not to yell at her or start a fight.

"And Andrea?" Glenn piped up.

The sounds of their voices fell faint as Daryl stood there, his hands in tight fists. It was his fault she wasn't here, his fault she was probably dead. He should have let her and Carol on the bike and stayed there instead. She was the only one who made him feel like more than a useless no good. She was the only one that loved him and more than that, she was the only one that he loved.

Without a word, he marched back to his bike, intent on going back for her.

"Daryl, what are you-"

Rick had taken a step infront of Daryl, but the southerner just pushed him to the side.

"She's still out there," he growled as he turned his bike around. "I'm goin' back."

"You can't, it's not safe," Carol pleaded.

"So we jus' leave 'er there?" He shouted, turning to point an accusing finger at the woman. "She threw 'er life on the line for us and you expect me to jus' leave 'er there?!"

Carol immediately backed down, leaving Daryl to mount his bike.

"Daryl, you're not going," Rick ordered firmly.

The comment earned a glare from Daryl, but he didn't get off the bike.

"Daryl."

As soon as the engine revved, Tyreese stepped forward and grabbed Daryl by the collar before throwing him off the bike. Daryl was quick to retaliate and threw a punch across Tyreese's face. Within moments, the two were in a full out fist fight. Punches were thrown an received by both before Rick could even step forward and pull Daryl back.

"That's enough, Daryl!" Rick shouted. "She's either somewhere else or she's dead! Andrea too. Going back won't help."

Daryl pulled free of his hold and glared at Rick, fighting to control his anger. First, he had lost his brother in this mess and now Riley. What's more, he didn't know where either of them were or if they were even still alive. He had to stop looking for Merle because of the group, and now he wouldn't even have the chance to look for Riley. Just thinking about it was pushing him over the edge.

With a frustrated shout, he kicked a nearby car and stormed off with his crossbow. He couldn't take it anymore. How could they just give up on her like that? His brother, he understood, but Riley, why the hell wouldn't they go looking for her?

"Daryl...?"

He didn't turn around as Aleah followed behind him, her limp evident in the sounds of her footsteps. He didn't want to talk to anyone and he certainly didn't want to see the accusing look in her eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's not your fault," she told him, her voice low. "I know how she gets and she wouldn't have let it happen any other way."

He stayed quiet, his breath heavy and his fists tight.

"It's not your fau-"

"The hell it isn't!" He shot back at her.

He spun around and closed the distance between them, hoping to scare her off. "You heard Carol, we left 'er there to get killed so we could survive! She's fuckin' gone!"

Aleah flinched back slightly, watching cautiously as Daryl's shoulders raised and lowered with each ragged breath. She knew he cared for her and he wouldn't have wanted to leave her, but she also knew that her best friend wouldn't have allowed Daryl to die before her.

Tears started forming in her eyes as they stood there in silence. She knew how he felt- they both lost someone that they cared for, someone that they both loved.

Daryl turned away suddenly, but she had seen it. His eyes were red and as hard as he tried to hide it, she had seen the tear that streaked down his cheek.

Without a word, Aleah stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist. He had tensed instantly at the contact, but he hadn't spun around to retaliate as she had expected. It was obvious Daryl wouldn't talk things out, or ask for comfort, but she knew he was hurting and that he needed this. Hell, she needed it too.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Man, it feels good to be back :P

Hopefully everyone enjoyed the first chapter. It's a little on the short side, but they'll get longer as I go. Let me know how you liked it and let me know who's back. I miss hearing from everyone :)


	2. Making Due

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 2 - Making Due**

* * *

Pain seared through my body as I tried to sit up, my muscles tense and my side throbbing. The last thing I remembered was running from a horde of walkers before collapsing and landing on something sharp. If this was the afterlife, God was a dick for carrying pain over.

"I wouldn't be gettin' up just yet, Miss."

My gaze was hazy as I searched the area for the owner of the southern drawl.

"Daryl...?"

I heard footsteps for a moment before a man stepped up to my side. Judging by his height I was guessing I was laying in something raised.

"Name's Kenny," he informed, tipping his trucker hat slightly. "We found you out in the woods. Didn't think you'd make it, to be honest."

With a nod of acknowledgement, I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to sort out my thoughts.

"You said, 'we'?"

"Yes, ma'am. Got a group of us here."

I lowered my hand and tried sitting up again, doing my best to ignore the pain. Maybe the others were here too. If they made it, they wouldn't have many supplies- no, I wouldn't give myself hope like that. If they weren't here, I'd have nothing left to hang on to.

"Hey, Lee, she's up."

I allowed myself a few deep breaths before taking in my surroundings. From where I was, I could see a few cars (including the truck bed I was sitting in), along with what looked like a motel and a makeshift fence along the parking lot.

"Good to see that you're okay," a new man informed with a smile. "I'm Lee."

He offered a hand, to which I returned. "Riley. Thanks for helping me out."

Though my recovery seemed to lift their moods, I couldn't share the sentiment. The introductions with these men were more than enough of a reminder of when I had first met Rick and the gang.

"Don't mention it. We've got to look out for each other," Lee replied sincerely.

I gave a nod and ran my hand through my hair- or tried to anyways. I must have looked like a mess. I could feel the layer of sweat and dirt caked to my body and clothes. A bath sounded like heaven right about now.

"So, where is this?" I gestured my hand to signify the area.

"Travelier Motel," Kenny answered almost bitterly.

"Travelier..." I mumbled, raking my mind for some sort of location.

It sounded familiar so maybe I wasn't too far off from the highway. If I wanted to find Daryl and the other survivors my best bet was there.

"Is there a highway nearby?"

Both men turned to each other, neither seeming to know.

"A farm maybe?" I tried.

This time, both their faces masked.

"There's a farm," Lee answered slowly. "Were you with the people there?"

I could hear the concern in his voice, but I wasn't sure what he was hiding.

"Yeah, a man and his children lived there," I answered cautiously. "They took us in, but it got overrun yesterd-"

I cut my sentence abruptly. "How long have I been out for...?"

A grim look washed over Lee's features. "Today's day two."

I felt my stomach drop. There was no way the group would still be on the highway, or even anywhere near it. If I wanted to find them, I needed to move and get out of here a-sap.

"Do you have a map?"

The concerned look made its way back to Lee's face, but he nodded none the less.

"Lily's got one," he informed with a nudge of his thumb. "But you should probably stay put and rest."

Ignoring the second half of his answer, I inched towards the end of the pickup and slid off the edge. As soon as my weight was on my feet, I felt my legs wobble and my side sparked with pain.

"Easy there, don't over do it," Kenny cautioned as he helped steady me.

"I've had worse," I mumbled stubbornly.

After a second, I pushed off the truck and started limping forward. Thankfully, Lee and Kenny got the point and led me to a woman sitting on the roof of a RV. She had a rifle held securely in her hands so I assumed she was on lookout.

"Hey, Lily, can we borrow the map for a minute?"

She looked down at us after a moment, her face clear of emotion. I knew that look, the face off loss, of hopelessness. I knew it oh too well and I wish I didn't.

"It's in the car." Her eyes moved to me once Lee moved to get the map. "Nice to see you're okay."

I gave a small nod of thanks, my brows turning downward. I hated seeing that expression on people, the look of grieving, but this world was relentless and it was more common than not.

"You shouldn't be moving around just yet," I heard Lee caution from the backseat of the car. "Give it a few days and we'll help you get back to your friends."

As much as I disliked the idea of wasting more time, it was Kenny that turned to Lee with a look of disapproval on his face.

"Do you really think we can afford another trip like that, Lee?" I watched as Kenny spoke, which in turn, put a frown on his lips when he noticed. "No offence, Riley. I'd love to help, but with the way things are going..."

"It's fine, saving me back there was more than enough."

He looked away guiltily, but I had meant what I said. It's hard enough finding other survivors, but even harder finding ones that would help you out. For getting me away from those walkers and patched up, I'd be forever grateful.

"If it's alright with your group, I'll stay the night, then head out tomorrow." I didn't like the idea of wasting more time, but I knew my body couldn't handle that much activity today. Tomorrow, I wouldn't give my body a choice.

"If that's what you want," Lee replied, his gaze drifting around the camp. "I've got some business to attend to, so I'll see you around."

I gave him a quick nod, then turned to Kenny. "Did you guys happen to grab my weapons?"

There was a bit of reluctance in his expression, but he nodded none the less. I was grateful that they saved me, but I still needed my stuff.

"They're by the truck." He waited for me to nod before taking a few steps away. "If you need anything else, just holler."

"Thanks, Kenny."

I waited for him to fully walk away before picking up the map and heading back to the truck bed. My body was still sore and my side ached, but I knew I didn't have the luxury to rest for long. The sky was already getting dark so it was only a matter of hours before I'd be out there on my own again.

With a sigh, I grabbed my jackets and weapons before crawling back into the truck bed. Once I settled down and draped a jacket over my shoulders, I spread the map out and ran my finger over the highway. Finding them would be close to impossible if I didn't have a vehicle, considering the highway stretched on for miles. What's more, if they didn't stick to the highway my chances dropped even further. Just my luck.

"Are you going to look for your friends?"

The voice brought my attention up to a young girl poking her head up over the back of the truck. Her dark curls were being held back by a white and blue baseball cap. It reminded me of Glenn's.

"Yeah, I lost them a few days ago," I answered after offering her a small smile. I was surprised I could still muster one. "My name's Riley, it's nice to meet you."

A smile crept onto her lips. "I'm Clementine."

I had to admit, she was rather adorable. "That's a nice hat you've got there, Clementine. One of my friends has one like that."

Her eyes seemed to sparkle at my comment. "Do you know Glenn? He had a hat like mine."

My eyes widened. "Yeah, he was in my group. When did you see him last?"

I could feel what was left of my hope starting to grow, but it was instantly shot down as she answered.

"I haven't seen him in a long time..."

I tried my best to mask my frown, but it was difficult. Glenn must have travelled with this group before he met the others.

"I'm sorry..."

I was quick to wipe the frown from my lips and give her a smile. "No, no, you did nothing wrong, don't worry Clem."

She didn't seem too sure of herself, but she nodded none the less.

"So, what do you do for fun around here?"

The question seemed to brighten her mood. "I've been colouring. The leaves didn't turn out very nice, but it's fun."

I gave her a small nod and a chuckle escaped my lips. It ended abruptly though when we heard men yelling from outside the perimeter.

"Well, well, well, looks like its my lucky day."

The voice sent a violent shiver down my back and my body froze.

Wayne.

* * *

**Footnote:**

It's cliffhangers like this one that make me realize how mean I am to Riley. Poor girl. For the most part, I think think is the only chapter with characters from the video game. This chapter takes place at a certain time in the game, but there's no spoilers. If you've played, you'll know which part and if you haven't... go play it right now! It's an amazing game. It holds true to the Walking Dead and focuses on story instead of just another shooter.

Anywho, it was so nice to hear from the people that reviewed! I love hearing what everyone thinks of the story, it makes my day that much better. :)


	3. Round Two

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 3 - Round Two**

* * *

Just the sound of Wayne's voice was enough to set my mind into a state of panic. How he had managed to survive the beating Daryl gave him, I had no idea, but he was here now and I was in trouble.

"Clem, get to the other-"

A whimper escaped my lips as someone grabbed me roughly from behind and dragged me over the side of the truck. The second my back hit the ground, I felt my wound tear open again, but a hand clamped over my mouth before I could make a sound.

"Round up the others, I'll deal with this one."

I tried to struggle free, but any movement I made sent a flash of pain through my body. It wasn't until the group of men had the others at gunpoint that I stopped.

"The hell do you want?" I growled at Wayne.

He had released my mouth, but as soon as I spoke, he grabbed a clump of my hair and pulled my head back. This time he didn't muffle my groan of pain, a smirk playing on his mangled face.

"First your little boy fucks up my face and now you're stealing our supplies," he replied viciously. "I'll make sure you pay for it this time though."

"Fuck yo- aargh-"

He tugged sharply on my hair again and grabbed my chin roughly. "Don't think that just 'cause that redneck trash of yours isn't here you can do what you want."

Clearly my glare wasn't enough to shut him up, so I did the next best thing and spat in his face. The look on his face was almost worth the fist across mine. Almost.

"You're pathetic," I choked out before he threw a fist at me once more.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" Again with the hair pulling. "The only time you can open your mouth is for my-"

"Wayne what are we gonna do with 'em?"

With a scowl, Wayne tugged me to my feet and started walking towards the gate.

"Do what you want, I don't give a shit."

"Let them go, you asshole!"

I tried to pull away from him, but his grip on my hair just tightened. He didn't say anything this time though, just continued dragging me into the forest before throwing me to the ground.

"Ain't gonna wait this time," he growled. "Just gonna fuck you nice and hard like the bitch you are."

I swallowed hard and scampered back as he approached, but he was quick to catch me and hold me down. Panic had already set in and I struggled against his hold, but it was of no use. Without a weapon, there was no chance for me to get free.

As I tried to get leverage from the ground, I felt a sharp object prick my palm and I quickly grabbed onto the broken branch. As soon as I saw the opportunity, I stabbed Wayne in the stomach, using the time to pull away from him and crawl backwards.

The second I thought I was home free though, I felt him grab hold of my leg and pull me back, this time taking his pistol out.

What happened next, went by in a flash of kicks and struggle. When he tried to aim the gun at me, I kick it away, sending a stray bullet into the trees. Then he tried to claw at me and drag me closer. If not for the tired and sore state I had started off in, I'm sure it wouldn't have been as difficult, but without much struggle on his part, he reclaimed his position on top of me.

His gun was only pointed at my head for a second before I side swiped him in the wrist and disarmed him. That's when the punches started raining down in me. One after the other, hit after hit, I felt it all until I couldn't feel anything any more. I guess that was it... At least I put up a good fight...

* * *

Rick's group had been travelling for days now without any luck finding food or gas and it was starting to take its toll on the group. Travelling was becoming harder with fewer and fewer cars each time, but Rick kept them going. This is no longer a democracy, he had told everyone. A few survivors hadn't liked the new hierarchy, yet no one was willing to leave and fend for themselves.

Daryl was glad Rick had finally grown a pair, and while he wanted to be on his own, he knew that staying with Rick and the others was how he would survive. They were stronger as a group, even though it didn't seem that way at the moment.

"Daryl, I'll take over watch," Glenn informed with a yawn.

Offering him a nod of thanks, Daryl hopped off the car he was sitting on and made his way to Riley's van. It was one of the last two vehicles they had left with gas and Daryl had done his damned best to keep it with them. He had convinced the others by telling them that it could hold the most amount of people, but for him, it was the last thing he had of Riley's- well, besides her dog.

"Out'a the way, mutt," he grumbled, shooing the dog from his area.

Carol, Sophia, and Aleah were also sharing the vehicle for sleeping, so to say it was a bit crowded was an understatement. None of them stirred as he settled down for some sleep, hoping he could get a decent rest.

His eyes had just shut when he suddenly heard noises from outside. He didn't move at first, figuring Glenn was just getting comfortable, but when he heard a female's muffled scream. He shot up. He hadn't heard the voice clearly through the vehicle's walls, yet it sounded familiar and it made his heart race.

No one else had woken so he crept out of the van and made his way to where Glenn was- but he was nowhere to be seen.

"China man, the hell are ya?" Daryl called out in frustration. "You're suppos'ta be watchin' the camp."

There was no reply, just the silence that fell over the area. Then he heard the scream again. Before he could realize it, he was running off into the forest, his eyes frantically searching through the trees.

"D-Daryl!"

The voice made his blood run cold and he forced himself harder, no longer carrying for the branches that cut into his arms and face. It was Riley's voice and she was scared. His Riley needed help and he wasn't going to stop until she was okay.

"Let go of me!"

Daryl skid to a stop, his eyes finally falling over her. Her clothes were torn in various places and she had cuts along her skin. Then he saw the man holding her and he just about lost all restraint.

Seething in anger, he ran forward, but it had been just like the last time. Not even five feet from Wayne, Daryl felt a bullet pierce into his stomach and he fell forward into the dirt.

"Daryl!"

He tried to get up, but as soon as he was on his feet, Wayne shot another bullet into his knee. He wouldn't let Wayne get away with it this time though. He couldn't let him hurt Riley anymore.

Lifting himself from the ground, his chest tightened and he started coughing up blood.

"You said you would protect me..." Riley whimpered, tears streaking her cheeks.

Her scared voice stung more than the bullets had.

"I- Riley, I'm so-" more blood spilled past his lips as he looked up at her pained expression. He had failed her. He let this happen.

In the next moment, there was a loud groan and he could only watch with panicked eyes as Wayne bit into her neck and tore up a chunk of skin.

* * *

Daryl woke with a start, his breath coming in gasps as his heart thumped against his chest. It was just a dream, he kept telling himself, but for all he knew it could be what happened to her. She could be dead somewhere and he would never know.

"Daryl... Are you okay...?"

Aleah's voice pulled him from his daze and he turned away from her quickly.

"I'm fine. Mind your own damn business," he shot at her.

She knew he wasn't. If his mumblings of her best friend weren't enough of an indication, then the tear that streaked his cheek was.

It wasn't the first time she woke to Daryl's nightmares and she was sure it wouldn't be the last. How was she supposed to help him though? By telling him to get over her? That there were more fish in the sea? Because there weren't and she knew getting over the fact that Riley was gone wasn't easy to do. She had tried and that wasn't going well either.

* * *

"Wayne, they got away in the RV. Must have taken down at least 10 of us too."

The male's voice echoed in my mind, the pain I was feeling making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

"For fuck's sake, Lowrance!"

I cracked an eye open at the sound of Wayne's voice and peered over at the two men. One was Wayne, who had his back turned to me, and the other I had never seen before. He was probably one of Wayne's henchmen or something by the sounds of it.

"Sorry Wayne, we didn't know they were packing," the second man said, a British accent toning his voice.

As Wayne gave a frustrated sigh, the man's eyes made contact with my own before glancing to my side. If my face hadn't hurt to much, my brows would have furrowed in confusion. Though, not even a second later, he looked away.

"You bunch are pathetic," Wayne sneered angrily.

The man looked over at me again, this time discretely nudging his head to the side. I got the hint and looked to my right, spotting the glare off of something in the grass. It didn't take me long to realize that it was a knife. What the hell was a knife doing there?

"They left their supplies though," the man Wayne had called Lowrance said. "Guess they were in a hurry."

Now, either I was imagining it... Or the hurry was for me. I didn't waste anymore time questioning what was going on. I had one hell of an opportunity and I wasn't going to let it pass.

With whatever strength I could muster, I pulled myself to my feet and gripped the knife tightly. Every inch of my body ached and I could feel blood trickling from cuts along my face, but I had to do this. This was my last chance and I wasn't going to let the pain stop me.

As quietly as I could, I made my way to the two men, hoping the limp I was sporting wouldn't give me away. Just a few more feet and-

My heart nearly stopped as Lowrance's eyes landed on me. I wasn't sure what he was going to do; rat me out to Wayne or maybe lift his rifle and kill me himself. I hadn't even considered the chance of him looking away, but that's what he did.

I held my breath as I made it the last few steps, then brought the knife around Wayne and slit his throat. The gurgling that came from his lips was enough to make me dizzy and in the next moment, I was on the ground.

I didn't want to kill the living, but I had to. That's what I kept telling myself anyway. Wayne was hurting people, right? He was hurting me. I had to stop him. Had to.

"Are you alright?"

My head snapped up at the voice and I lifted the knife defensively.

"Easy now, that's my knife after all," the guy chuckled.

With a shaky breath, I dropped the knife and let my body lay limply against the ground. This guy had set me up to kill Wayne... So that's what was going on.

"Should I be thanking you then...?" I mumbled tiredly.

His mouth opened to reply, but there was suddenly a groan from behind.

"Shit-"

I barely had enough energy to sit up, but when I saw Wayne's body pull itself to its feet, my eyes widened.

"I- I killed him... How is he..."

I didn't receive an answer right away, the man busying himself with a knife to Wayne's skull.

"You don't need a bite to turn," Lowrance informed morbidly. "If you die with your brain intact, you still come back."

I swallowed hard, my vision swimming before blacking out.

That's one of the last things I wanted to hear.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Yay, no more Wayne~ Oh, and for anyone that read my Footsteps of the Damned bonus one shot, can you guess who this Lowrance guy is? ;P

As always, thanks for all the lovely reviews, you all are awesome :D


	4. A Little Optimism Goes a Long Way

**Shadows of the Forgotten **

**Chapter 4 - A Little Optimism Goes a Long Way**

* * *

It's been seven months since Nathan Lowrance saved me from Wayne. Technically, he had only helped me escape, but he never failed to bring it up whenever he had the chance. The first time was when he started asking about my past. I hadn't been all that open about myself, so he used the 'I saved your life' card. I had argued it, but eventually gave in and told him a few things.

In return, he told me a story of his own. He had been living in Britain before moving to Atlanta not even a year before the outbreak. I had said he was unlucky, but he had countered and told me that he was lucky to have found me. The comment made me uneasy, but I took it in stride and asked him why he was with Wayne.

Apparently, there's a community to the east called Woodbury, where a bunch of survivors pooled together and sealed off a neighbourhood from walkers. The news had brought on a spark of hope, but when Nate informed me that Wayne and his group had been scavengers from there, I instantly understood what he was getting at.

When he saw that Wayne had me, he used it as an opportunity to stop him and have a new start on surviving. I was sure glad he did.

The two of us got along well enough. He was a fun guy and was able to lift my mood every time I felt like I was slipping. And he was easy on the eyes too, with messy brown hair and well kept stubble, but he wasn't Daryl. I made sure to tell him that when he started making a move.

I was glad he understood and didn't press me further on the subject. It was nice to have someone to travel with, a partner really, and I didn't want to lose that because he couldn't control his libido.

"Looks like there's a house over there, want to check it out?" he asked.

I followed his gaze, noticing the roof's shingles through the trees. With a nod, I took the lead and stepped off the train tracks we had been following. We were hoping to find a train at some point, but it didn't seem likely anytime soon.

"Walkers..." I mumbled as I crouched by an abandoned vehicle. "Think it's worth it?"

He took a quick glance before shrugging. "Better to check and find nothing than to pass up a bunch of supplies."

I hummed in agreement and picked up a rock from the ground. There was only a few walkers roaming around so I tossed the rock at a trash can in the opposite direction, instantly catching their attentions.

"I call the redhead," Nate whispered as he moved around the car.

I was quick to follow with a small chuckle and slid my blades from their sheathes. When Nathan had first saved me, he made sure to grab my weapons and belongings. I had thanked him for at least a week after that. The blades and crossbow had become a part of me, and as sad as it sounded, getting them back gave me a sense of ease and comfort.

"Hey Riley, I think that one actually wants you for your braaaiinnsss," Nate teased.

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips as I pulled a blade from a walker's skull.

"Asshole, you're gonna get me killed," I laughed, taking down another walker. "Though, I think he just wanted to eat me out."

Nathan was the one to laugh this time. "Damn it, Riley. I did not want to picture that."

I gave him a shrug as the last walker fell, a shit eating grin plastered on my lips. "You started it."

Even with the light atmosphere we had created, we instantly fell silent as we approached the house. We may have been fooling around, but we knew when we had to be serious. Entering close quarters was one of those times.

Nate was just about ready to kick open the door, but I quickly moved in front of him and tried turning the handle. Luckily, it opened easily and I stepped in, crossbow raised with Nate following close behind.

Judging by all the open cabinets and the way tables and couches had been pushed back, I was probably right to assume survivors had been here recently. That, and the place probably had no supplies left. With a sigh, I signalled for him to move upstairs while I searched the first floor. As soon as I received a nod, I did a quick sweep of the rooms, making sure to check behind each door.

Once I confirmed that the ground level was empty, I went to check the kitchen cabinets. I didn't have high hopes of finding anything, but I'd feel better if I checked.

"Nothing upstairs," Nate informed as he plopped down onto a couch. "Looks like someone passed by here recently though."

I gave him a nod, trying to ignore the look he was giving me. It was a look that said, 'maybe it's your old group', but I couldn't afford hope like that.

The day I admitted to myself that I probably wouldn't see Daryl and the others ever again was the day I almost spiraled into a deep depression. If Nate hadn't been there to pull me back, I probably would have been dead by now.

"Want to stay here for the night? Should be pretty quiet," he mused. "I'll take first watch."

Without a word, I gave him a nod and sat on the couch beside him. My mind was now swimming of thoughts of Daryl and all my friends. I had barely noticed when Nate shifted closer and wrapped an arm around me, but I welcomed the comfort. Then, when the tears started streaking down my cheeks, Nate brushed them away with his thumb.

He didn't say anything though, and I was grateful for it. Hearing something like 'we'll find them' or 'I'm sure they're fine' had finally meant nothing to me anymore. Saying them was just to fill the awkward silence, but with Nate, there was no awkward silence. Him not saying anything helped me more than any words could.

The months Rick and his group had spent on the roads changed them. They were no longer a weak, broken group, instead they had been hardened by their day to day life. Even Carol had stepped up and not only learned medical treatment from Hershel, but she also learned to shoot.

The group could now face a difficult situation with ease, if their encounters with the undead were any indication. They learned to work as a well oiled machine, not needing to communicate verbally to get the job done. When they entered a building, they knew what to look for and where to go to cover the most ground safely. Carl had even learned from his father and became a reliable asset to the group.

The biggest test for them was to take over their next safe haven. The second Rick and Daryl had seen the enclosed building, they knew that's where they were going next. They knew that with Lori so far along in her pregnancy, they needed to find somewhere fast, and they had found a gold mine.

They had to fight for it though, against walkers and the living. Once they did, they were rewarded with shelves of food and safety. But like all good things, it came with a price. During one of their sweeps, Hershel had taken a bite to the calf. With no other choice, Rick cut his leg to stop the infection from spreading.

Hershel wouldn't be able to walk on his own anymore, but the man was alive and Maggie and Beth were able to keep their father.

Allen hadn't fared any better when he had been bit during the seven months they were on the road. Rick had tried cutting off the infected limb in the same manner, but Allen had ended up losing too much blood and died.

Overall though, they had done a good job, even Daryl could admit that. When they had first started travelling after the attack on the farm, Daryl had reverted back to how he was before, a cold, angry exterior that couldn't be broken. If anything, it was worse than when he had first joined the group. For the longest time, he kept to himself, but as they days went on, Aleah and Carol slowly chiseled away at him, getting him back one bit at a time.

By the fourth month, they had done all they could. He was talking to the group now and helping Rick make the tough calls, but there was still a hole neither woman could fill or even attempt to patch up. That bit of him needed more than they could provide.

I woke the next morning in the same position I had fallen asleep in. Nate had also dozed off and as much as I wanted to scold him for leaving us unguarded, I appreciated his concern.

"Ehwaahss happenin'?" He mumbled out as he rubbed his eyes.

I couldn't help the small smile that worked its way onto my lips.

"Other than the fact that you fell asleep?" I asked playfully.

His only response was a nervous chuckle and a sorry as he rubbed the back of his neck. I couldn't be mad at him though, his heart was in the right place and nothing had attacked us.

"Thanks, Nate."

His sheepish look had turned into a warm smile that could lift anyone's mood. I had really lucked out by running into him.

"Shall we get back to the railroad?" He asked after a minute.

After a quick glance around the room, I gave him a nod and stood up. "There wasn't any running water upstairs, was there?"

The shake of his head made my shoulders drop. It's been far too long since I've been able to clean up, and the dirt and sweat stuck to my body was beyond the point of uncomfortable.

"Map says there's a river a bit north of the tracks," he informed, catching onto my motives. "We'll stop there for a few hours, okay?"

I expressed my thanks with an appreciative smile and a nod of the head.

With nothing left to do with the house, we gathered our things and snuck out the back door. There were a few random walkers around, but we were able to sneak by them and get back to the railroad with no trouble.

"Think we'll ever run into a train?" Nate asked to fill the silence.

I let my eyes trail along the tracks until they disappeared in the distance. "Probably not..."

He sighed and nudged me playfully with his elbow. "Optimism, remember?"

I quickly swatted him away. Sure, optimism was nice and all, but it wasn't always realistic.

"Sure, Nate. We're going to find somewhere safe, with lots of supplies, comfortable beds, and running water." I waved my hands in mock enthusiasm, my sarcasm not going unnoticed. "And when we're there, my old group will be waiting. Then I'll go and have the most amazing sex ever, and-"

"Uh... Riley?"

I waved off his concerned voice. "Don't worry, there's a few women in the group for you, too."

"No, Riley... Look."

I stopped walking, and turned back to him. He was a few yards back with his eyes glued out to the north. With a sigh, I wandered back to him.

"What, Nate? Another redhead zomb-"

As soon as my gaze followed his, my jaw fell slack and my eyes widened.

"See...?" He said quietly, "I told you optimism worked."

Not even two hundred yards in front of us stood a large prison, it's fences still intact and the yards free of walkers.

It was perfect.

* * *

**Footnote:**

I love writing scenes with these two together, it's so much fun XD

Big thanks to everyone following this story and those of you who are reviewing! And of course, how's everyone liking Nathan so far?


	5. Welcome Back

**Shadows of the Forgotten **

**Chapter 5 - Welcome Back**

* * *

"See? What did I tell you, Riley?" Nate boasted. "I should have my own talk show or something."

I rolled my eyes at his ego and peered through the scope of my crossbow. We were crouched behind some bushes about twenty yards from the prison's fences. It was as close as we could get for now without the risk of being seen.

Chances were, there were already survivors in the prison and by our count, we were more likely to run into the bad ones now a days.

"Looks like there's no one in the watch towers," I mumbled sceptically. "But how do we get in...?"

Nate's eyes briefly passed over the watchtowers before moving to the fence. "Guess we'll have to sweep the perimeter and see how they did it."

I gave him a quick nod and stood up to make my way over to the fence. We made sure to keep low and avoid reflecting the sun off of our equipment. We couldn't be too casual about infiltrating the prison and we'd have to be patient. It was better to go slow and safe then to rush in and be ambushed- walkers or otherwise.

"See anything?"

I shook my head, my brows furrowing as I looked over the gates. They were all intricately chained with a large padlock so there was no way we were cutting through them without proper equipment. On top of that, each inch of fence had barbed wire running along the top, making that route inaccessible as well.

"Anything on your end?" I asked.

He didn't say anything, just gave me the generic 'one second' gesture as he looked over a portion of the fence.

Curiously, I made my way over to him and peered over his shoulder. He was fiddling with something on the fence, but from where I was, I couldn't make out what it was.

"Nate, what are you-"

"Got it!"

I gave him a questioning look as he started working a bit faster. "Got what?"

Again, he didn't answer me at first, just continued with what he was doing. When he was finally finished, he took a step back and held out his hands towards the hole in the fence.

"I used to do this as a kid so we'd have a quick path in and out," he explained. "Not as noticeable, yet it still holds up."

I gave him a smile and pat him on the back. "It's times like these that I'm glad you're around," I teased as I climbed through the hole.

He sent me a pouty face as he followed after me. "Ouch, Riley, my poor feelings."

I only offered him a shrug in comfort. "It was a compliment."

With a chuckle, he started patching the fence back up, leaving me to move further into the yard. With each step, I couldn't help but envision what this place could become- what we could do to keep living. Starting a garden for food would be a top priority for sure and seeing as winter was over, it was the perfect time.

"Now, how do we get in?" Nate asked as he approached.

The next gate would be much easier to get into so I wasn't too worried.

"Whoever's here used two clips and a chain to keep the gate closed," I explained. "It's actually very clever."

I received a nod and I moved forward to open up the gate. Nate followed behind quickly, and it was at that point that we noticed the walkers behind the next fence.

"They must have gone into the building," Nate speculated.

I closed off the gate the way they had it and looked over the next set of clips.

"The chain is on the inside, so they didn't go past them..."

Both our gazes turned towards the door to the left before our eyes met once more.

"Let's see what's behind door number one," Nate grinned.

Following his lead, we made our way into the unlit corridor, weapons raised and eyes peeled. It would have been the perfect situation for a flashlight, but our batteries had run out a few days prior. Now we just had to hope that whoever was here cleaned out the inside of the building too.

A few hallways in, Nate suddenly stopped, causing me to walk into him with the edge of my bow. He didn't say anything though, but I did faintly see him raise his hand to signal hold. Did he really think there was enough vision to do that?

"Do you hear... Voices...?" He asked, his tone holding something I couldn't quite place. "Children's voices...?"

My brow raised subconsciously, even though I knew he couldn't see it, and I strained my ears for the faintest sound. My eyes widened when a child's laughter echoed through the halls.

"Think this place is... Haunted...?" Nate asked uneasily.

If only he could see my face at his enquiry. It was a look that I was hoping read are you fucking kidding me?

"Nate, it's a zombie apocalypse and you're worried about a ghost?"

"Well, yeah. We're in a prison."

I had to keep myself from face palming. "There were no children in prison."

"Oh..."

Though I knew that to be the case, it still didn't stop both of us from jumping when we heard a loud howl echo through the halls.

"What in the..."

Nate seemed confused my the whole ordeal, but my body froze to the spot, my heart skipping a beat before pumping furiously in my chest. That wasn't a howl I could easily misplace or forget. That was Thor.

Even as we heard a gate opening, I stayed glued to the spot, my body not responding to my mind. Had I really found them? After all this time, had I finally found them?

"Riley, there's footsteps... Really fast footsteps..."

Nate turned to retreat, but he ended up walking straight into me with a grunt. Despite that, I still didn't move until I felt two paws on my shoulders and a wet tongue on my cheek. Fighting back tears, I buried my face into Thor's fur and gave him the biggest hug.

I was never ever going to allow us to get separated like that again. I would die before I let that happen a third time. Even though he was almost as tall as me, I still considered him my baby and being separated for that long was just too much.

"Riley, what's going on...?"

In all my excitement, I had almost forgotten that Nate was still there and that he couldn't see a thing.

"Just a bit of optimistic magic," I chuckled.

Ignoring Nate's presence in the hallway, Thor dropped down to all fours and nudged the back of my leg with his nose. It was his way of telling me to follow. Considering the lack of light, it wouldn't exactly be easy so I blindly found his tail and held onto it as he walked forward. Then I hooked my crossbow around Nate's arm and dragged him along too.

I had to keep telling myself to calm down and be patient, but I knew my family was here and it had been far too long since I'd seen them. There was almost a hop to my step, but I hardly noticed. I had found them.

"Thor? Where'd you go?"

The voice was hushed, but I recognized it almost instantly- Carl. There must have been a huge grin on my face when light spread through the hall and we turned the last corner.

Both Carl and Sophia were standing there, eyes wide and mouths agape as we approached.

"R-Riley, you're alive," Carl mumbled, his statement sounding more like a question.

I couldn't blame him, I didn't even expect to survive.

"Of course she did!" Sophia grinned.

The small girl was the first to close the gap and wrap her arms around my waist. I lowered to one knee to give her a proper hug, but the action caused Carl to raise a pistol defensively. What was he thinking- oh, right, Nate.

"It's okay, Carl. He's with me," I reassured as I stood up.

He didn't budge for a few seconds, watching Nate closely, but he eventually holstered his weapon and turned back to me.

"Everyone's going to be so happy you're okay," Sophia informed with a smile.

I was thankful she broke the silence and soon enough, she was dragging me through the next hall by the hand. I had to assume Carl, Nate, and Thor were following because that little girl could move when she wanted to.

"Daryl and the others are clearing out more of the prison," she told me. Her tone held a bit of the immaturity I had missed seeing in the children when she said Daryl's name. I was just glad he was okay.

"Mom! Mom! Riley's back!"

I felt my cheeks flush as all eyes turned towards us instantly. I wasn't sure how to react and to be honest, all the attention was slightly uncomfortable. It didn't outweigh how happy I was though, I don't think anything could.

The next half hour was a mess of hugs and celebration. Some of the group might have been elsewhere for the time being, but there were still quite a few people inside. Lori, Carol, Aleah, Dale, Hershel, Beth, Chris, and Julie were all present in the cell block Sophia had dragged me into. Other than Hershel's amputated leg and Lori's baby belly, everyone was in good shape.

They had briefly told me how Hershel had got bit and that Rick chopped off the leg to save him. It was a quick explanation, considering how uncomfortable Beth was about it, but I got the just of it. At some point, they finally took notice of Nate and weary looks we're shared, but I was quick to ease their worry.

They seemed okay with it for the time being, but ultimately, I knew it was up to Rick for the final say. By the time we had gone over our story and the others had done the same, there was the sound of footsteps and Rick walked through the door.

Almost instantly, his eyes landed on Nate's, then mine, his body freezing to the spot with wide eyes.

"The hell you stoppin' for?"

The voice nearly made my heart stop and the next moment felt like forever. That southern drawl was what had kept me going for the longest time, but it had been in my head, this was the real thing.

As he stepped around Rick I almost forgot to breath. There he was; my redneck asshole; my Daryl.

A reassuring touch from Aleah snapped me from my trance and I looked up to see his paled face.

"Hey. Long time, no see."

* * *

**Footnote:**

I swear I didn't end it like this on a Friday on purpose... it just happened that way. Don't kill me :P

Poor Daryl though, probably thinks he's imagining things. I can assure you though, Daryl, the next chapter on Monday is the real deal... if you know what I mean.

There's a high chance that the next chapter's going to have some _fun_ stuff in it. And by 'fun stuff' I mean smut. And by 'high chance', I mean there's definitely going to be some lol

Thanks to everyone who's following and reviewing! And don't forget to tell me how much you hate me for leaving you hanging like this for the weekend XD


	6. Getting Reacquainted

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 6 - Getting Reacquainted **

* * *

**Warning:**

POV swaps tend to mean smut... the end of this chapter is no exception ;P

* * *

For the longest time, I had dreamed about finding Daryl- about running into his arms like in the movies. That's exactly what I wanted to do at that moment, but I knew that as soon as I stood up, my legs would crumble from under me. Instead, he was the one who approached, his body looking calm and collected, but his face held a mixture of emotions. Not once did we break eye contact, and as cheesy as it sounded, I didn't think I could have.

When he finally stopped in front of me, he crouched to my level and slowly raised a hand to my cheek. He had hesitated at first, his fingers hovering just over my skin, almost as if he didn't want me to break- that if he were to touch me, I'd disappear.

The moment it took him to finally make contact was far too long and in the next moment I was in his arms, the sea of tears I had barricaded spilling over. I didn't register that there were others there with us, just that I was finally in his arms. I had never believed in that soul mate crap, but damn, this sure as hell felt like it.

When we finally paid mind to the others in the room, we parted slowly, but not fully. Keeping whatever contact he could, Daryl made his way around me and sat with his legs on either side of mine, allowing me to lean back against his chest. The group seemed to follow suit and sit down in the small area, their eyes darting from Nate to myself.

I figured I'd get the ball rolling.

"So, how'd you guys manage to take over a prison?" I asked to end the silence. My attention turned to Rick with a grin. "Perks of being a cop?"

He chuckled at my humour and just like that, it had been like I hadn't left. Putting aside the tinge of darkness I saw in Rick's eyes, he was more or less the same. Hell, with the light atmosphere, I would have assumed that it had been smooth sailing for the group, but I knew otherwise. It was best to just enjoy what we had for the time being. I, for one, knew how easily it could be taken away.

"Nathan, right?" Dale asked curiously. "Is that a British accent I'm hearing?"

My long term partner in crime gave the older man a smile and a nod.

"Lived in Britain until eight months before the dead started walking. Any later and I wouldn't have realized it wasn't a norm for you guys," Nate laughed.

A few of the group had a good chuckle before Rick spoke up.

"Where were you before you ran into Riley?"

Nate gave a quick shrug and leaned back onto his hands. "Here and there. Pretty much on my own until I found Woodbury."

A few curious looks were exchanged throughout the group, but they stayed quiet to let him continue.

"It's a small community of survivors that pooled resources. Nice place, considering."

One of Rick's brows raised almost instantly. "Why did you leave? It sounds perfect."

"Wasn't for me." Nate's answer was blunt and to the point, but he knew Rick would want more detail so he continued. "The people were nice enough, but I didn't agree with how things were run and how far off the leash the scavengers were allowed. So, when I saw the opportunity, I saved Riley and joined up with her."

I scoffed at the last bit and kicked him playfully from where I was sitting. "Please, I saved myself back there."

"With my knife. Need I remind you how many times I saved your clumsy ass?" He teased.

I couldn't help but laugh in good humour, but when I opened my mouth for a witty retort, I stopped. Whether it had been subconscious or not, I felt Daryl's hold on me tighten at our banter. I could only assume he was jealous, but the last thing that seemed like a good idea was to bring it up now.

"Hey, uh, we were scheduled to stop by a river to clean up, but is there any chance there's running water here?" I asked. "Or any water for that matter?"

I had expected Rick or Dale to speak up, but it was Carol that did.

"There's working showers down that way. Daryl can show you to them."

My cheeks heated up at her answer, the undertone suggestion reading loud and clear. Daryl didn't seem to mind though, and stood up without a second thought, pulling me with him. With a quick, bashful wave, I followed beside Daryl, my hand held securely in his.

"Just like rabbits..." Nate snickered.

Aleah had been sitting close enough to hear his comment, the chuckle she supported evident of it.

"Well, wouldn't you want that if you were in their shoes?" She questioned with a small smile.

Nate was quick to return the smile with one of his own. "If I had someone I cared about that much, then yes. Definitely."

Daryl and Riley were already far enough ahead that the group's voices had become drowned out in silence. Even with them being out of earshot from the rest, they still chose to remain quiet, their footsteps the only thing to be heard. Of course, they could talk, but what needed to be expressed couldn't fully be done with words, but instead, with actions.

The second they had entered the shower room, Daryl had Riley pinned to the wall, his lips locked with hers. In the past, his kisses had been uncertain and gentle, but this time he held a sense of urgency as if they could be torn apart at any second.

The feeling was contagious and Riley couldn't keep herself from giving into the hunger that tore at her every day she was away from him. It wasn't about committing themselves to each other anymore (that had been done long ago when he mustered up those three words), but it was about reuniting in every sense of the word.

They only parted as Daryl lifted her shirt over her head before bringing his lips back to hers. Almost instinctively, her fingers tangled into his hair, holding him close as he let his lips explore her exposed skin. A pleasurable sigh escaped her lips, but it was short lived as she pulled him back. She was covered in a layer of sweat, dirt, and who knew what else, and if he was going to start kissing her like this, she wanted it off first.

He gave her an irritated look at being stopped, but she shrugged it off.

"At least let me get under the water, 'kay?"

She couldn't help but chuckle as he mumbled something about women and let her pass. By the time she started the water and turned around, he had already removed his shirt and pants. Before she could realize it, her lips had pulled downward at the corners, making Daryl raise a brow in confusion.

"What? Somethin' wrong with me?"

Her eyes widened at the realization of what she could have implied and she shook her head quickly.

"I just... I wanted..." Riley sighed in annoyance and closed the gap between them before leading him into the stream of water. "It's stupid really, don't worry."

Before she could do anything else, Daryl took a hold of her cheek and turned her eyes to his. He didn't say anything, just gave her a look that made her feel like she could tell him absolutely anything. It had surprised her at first, considering that Daryl had always given of a vibe that made people tiptoe around him, but it wasn't unwelcome in the least.

She kissed him at first, trying to figure out how she wanted to say it without sounding whiny. When she finally pulled back, her cheeks were pink with embarrassment.

"I wanted to be the one to take off your clothes..."

A flicker of relief washed over Daryl's face at her reply and he chuckled to himself. "That was it?"

Riley opened her mouth instinctively to defend herself, but Daryl beat her to it and captured her lips with his own, his tongue taking advantage of the opportunity. Almost instantly, her body pressed against him, sending a wave of pleasure through his body. When he parted for air this time, she didn't hesitate to continue her kisses down his jaw and neck. As she did, her fingers traced the rim of his boxers and slowly slid them off as her lips reached his chest. If she was planning what he was hoping for, he didn't know how long he'd be able to last.

Daryl's breath hitched as her tongue made contact with him. He could tell she was tentative about it, but soon enough, she had him between her lips and nothing else seemed to matter to him. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he moved with her as pleasure took over. He didn't force her to move faster or deeper, but instead enjoyed as much as she was giving him. It must have been the fact that it was her, because it was a thousand times better than any casual woman he's had.

A moan from his lips drew her eyes up to his and he couldn't look away. He wasn't used to a woman giving him this much attention because she wanted to. Riley was doing it for no other reason than to make him feel good for his sake and he loved it. Another ragged breath escaped his lips and his hand tightened in her hair, causing her to hum around him.

He wasn't sure how much more he could take if she continued like that, so very reluctantly, he pulled back and led her back to his lips. She was hesitant at first, uncertain if he'd want to taste himself on her lips, but it didn't stop him in the least.

Within moments, he had her bra and pants off with her back against the wall. Both pieces of clothing had been equally wet from the shower, but when he slid his fingers past her panties, it was a different kind of wet that greeted him. Daryl briefly wondered if he had indirectly caused that by feeling pleasure himself, because if he did, it was another first.

Letting one hand please her, he used the other to remove her last piece of clothing and draw her leg up his side. The way she was moaning and moving her body to meet his fingers set him on fire.

"D-daryllll, I need... You- Ahhh-!"

He didn't waste anytime to lift her other leg, letting the wall support her as his length slid into her warmth. The sigh that left Riley's lips was nothing less than pleasurable. Using her legs as leverage, she pulled him even closer to her, wanting to feel every inch he had to offer. It had been far too long since they'd been able to give themselves to the other like this and they would take every second they could get.

Drawing out slowly, Daryl took his time with the first few thrusts, but when he felt her movements urge him faster, he gave in. Who was he to deny her?

Rolling his hips, he thrust into her at a quicker pace. The gasps and moans Riley couldn't contain egged him on as he continued his onset of thrusts. Every movement he made sent waves of pleasure through Riley's body and she threw her head back with a moan that echoed throughout the room. He didn't slow down or stop, more than content with the way her breast bounced with every thrust. When she had thrown her head back, he instantly moved in to claim the exposed skin with his lips and teeth.

The second he felt her tighten around him, Daryl drove into her with more precision, making sure to hit the places that he knew drove her crazy. Riley couldn't muster a sound as her body shook from the high he was giving her and soon enough, it triggered his.

Moving throughout her orgasm, he spilled into her before capturing her lips. He knew now what was so different when he had sex with Riley. They weren't just fucking like hormonal teenagers, no, it was far from that. They were making love and neither of them wanted to have it any other way.

* * *

**Footnote:**

First time in a while that I actually wanted to get up on a monday XD Also, if you've noticed, I'm posting a few hours early. You can all thank Leyshla Gisel for that :P

Oh, and where did everyone go last Friday? I think I got like... two reviews over the weekend, I missed you guys D:

Anywho, hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I know I did lol


	7. Just Like the Good Ol' Days

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 7 - Just Like the Good Ol' Days**

* * *

Waking the next morning, I had instantly shut my eyes, hoping- praying that it wasn't just another dream. After a dream like that, I'd probably crumble if I found out it wasn't real. When I felt two arms tighten around me, I let out a sigh of relief and opened my eyes.

Daryl was still fast asleep, his breath deep and slow as I looked up at him with a smile. Looking back, I couldn't remember a time when I saw him sleeping. He was always the first up and I was grateful I was given the opportunity this time. He looked so relaxed and content, and it instantly put a smile on my face. It was a rare state of calm for him to be in and I selfishly hoped I would be the only one to have the pleasure to see it.

"You have that grin on your face, don'tcha?"

His voice had startled me some, considering that he kept his eyes closed, and my body jumped slightly. His smirk told me that he was proud of himself.

"Well good morning to you too," I mumbled, cheeks flushed. "Is there a reason why I shouldn't be happy?"

Opening one eye, he looked down at me, smirk still securely in place. "None that I can think of."

"Good. I thought it was a dream at first..."

He raised a brow at me almost teasingly. "You ever have a dream that good?"

I shook my head slowly. Sure, I had a few nice dreams of Daryl, but none had been anything like what we shared last night.

With a coy smile, I pulled myself up slightly and presses my lips to his. He responded to the gesture instantly and moved me by the hips so I could straddle his waist. His hands didn't stop there though. Instead, he let them run over my body and under my shirt. I could feel a heat building up between my legs and I knew that if we didn't stop soon, things would escalate a lot quicker.

It wasn't until someone cleared their throat that we sperated from each other. I sat up quickly and straightened myself out, trying my best to avoid Aleah's amused smirk. Daryl, on the other hand, seemed to be glaring at her from his spot on the ground. I would have been giving her a similar look, but when I noticed where we were, I was glad she interrupted.

"Dale's making food, so if you're hungry I suggest getting down there before its gone," Aleah informed after a moment. Then her smirk widened. "And there's some free rooms down that way."

If possible, my cheeks flushed even darker and I nodded a quick thanks before she walked off.

"Why are we out here anyway?" I asked, glancing around.

While there was a row of cells on each floor, Daryl apparently chose to sleep on the perch just above the stairs. It left us wide open for anyone to see. He just shrugged.

"Didn' wanna sleep in a cage." He paused for a moment, his hands running along my thighs. "Didn' think I'd need the privacy either."

With a smile, I watched him fondly, glad our assumptions had been wrong. Maybe now I could convince him to move into a room.

"Think you can handle sleeping in a cage if I'm in there with you?" I asked. As much as I tried not to, his smirk told me my question had come off as more than just that. Not that I minded though.

"Won't be much sleepin'."

I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped myself short. I wanted us to keep teasing each other like this to see where it could lead, but at the same time, I hadn't eaten more than a few crumbs in the last little while and the news of Dale's cooking was almost too tempting to pass up.

Daryl had apparently caught onto my train of thought and sat up with me before helping me to my feet. His grumbling stomach made it apparent that he was hungry too.

It didn't take us long to get to the cafeteria where everyone was located (or so I assumed anyway). Julie and Chris were sitting with Carl and Sophia, with sour looks on each teens face. Glancing their way, the latter didn't seem all too happy either.

Thor was with them too and had instantly run over to me for an overly excited greeting. By the time I had gotten away, my face had been thoroughly slobbered on, which in turn earned a huff of amusement from Daryl. The gesture only ended up bringing my Bernese's attention to him though, causing me to laugh this time.

When we finally got free of Thor, Sophia called Daryl over with a smile. Before he could hide it, I saw Daryl's features soften and a small content smile tugged on his lips. I didn't want to ruin it, so I kept my mouth shut and nudged him softly. I could hear Aleah calling me over, so I figured he could go see what the young girl wanted.

I had turned to make my way to the others when he suddenly brought me back around and planted a firm kiss on my lips. It had surprised me, to say the least, but I welcomed it happily. Before I got separated from the group, he'd hardly shown any form of affection in front of people, yet here he was, doing just that for everyone to see.

"Either he really missed you or the sex is unbelievable," Lori teased as I approached the table. "I would have never thought I'd see the day when Daryl Dixon showed affection."

My cheeks had instantly heated up at her observation and I sat down across from the three women. Nate was also at the table, which I found interesting, but Aleah was quick to bring my attention elsewhere.

"Well, we know he missed you a lot," she started, the twinkle in her eye hinting at where this was going. "How was the sex anyway?"

I rolled my eyes at her blunt enquiry, noting the interested look in both Carol and Lori's eyes. Apparently they hadn't had much to gossip about while I was gone.

"It was good."

The answer didn't seem to sate their curiosity though. I was never one to disclose personal stuff so easily, but I had a feeling they wouldn't let me get away with it this time.

"Must have been more than just good if you two took _that_ long," Carol piped up with a grin.

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed, a small smile playing on my lips. "It was amazing..."

The looks that appeared in their faces made me chuckle. It was just like high school again, well, kind of anyway.

"To be honest, I didn't think he had it in him," Lori commented.

Aleah picked up on that and nodded. "Wham bam, thank you ma'am."

Their attention turned to me next, looking for my input. "That's what I thought at first too, but..."

Aleah raised a brow towards me curiously. "How many times?"

The question caught me off guard slightly. "Wha...?"

"How many times did you hit 'the big o'?"

My cheeks flushed instantly at the enquiry. "Why would you ask that with Nate here?"

He didn't seem to take offence though. "Just us girls talking, nothing to be shy about," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

I rolled my eyes and held my hand out, signalling four fingers. Their eyes bulged at my answer.

"Well consider me jealous," Carol teased.

Lori nodded in agreement, both women giggling with each other before they suddenly stopped and looked over my shoulder. Before I could look, Daryl sat between Nate and myself without a word. I had to shift over slightly to make room for him, signalling that he was still worried about how close Nate and I had gotten. I didn't pay much mind to it though, my cheeks a deep red at the fact that I was just discussing our night with the others.

When he turned to hand me a bowl of food, he raised a brow questioningly. "What were you guys talkin' 'bout?"

That, I couldn't answer, but I was glad Aleah took the initiative.

"Just girl stuff."

I could tell he knew there was more to the story, considering the look he turned towards Nate, but he shrugged it off and started eating. I was pleasantly surprised at the contents of the bowl; rice, corn, and some form of meat I figured I'd be better off not knowing about. It was a thousand times better than the food we had been eating over the past year, so I had no complaints whatsoever.

"Feel like lendin' a hand today, Brit?" Daryl asked, barely glancing over at Nate. "We're gonna clear out the infirmary."

Seeing as Nate wasn't going to get eye contact from Daryl, I caught his attention and mouthed a 'sorry' for Daryl. If anything, Nate seemed more amused by Daryl's cold shoulder and he just sent a shrug my way.

"Sure, let me know when you guys need me and I'll be there."

"Back in the cell block whenever you're ready," Daryl answered without skipping a beat.

It was weird to see Daryl revert back to a cold shoulder after having him open up so much. Hopefully he could learn to trust Nate, but I knew that was something that was going to take time.

"I can help out too if you-"

Daryl cut me off with a shake of his head. "Nah, you're not the one that's got to prove themselves."

At that, he finally looked over at Nate, causing an eerie silence to fall over the group. Now he was going a bit too far. Before anything could be said or done, I discretely placed my hand on Daryl's thigh, effectively drawing his attention towards me. He must have known I was going to push my offer of joining them, because he chose to speak first.

"Sophia asked if you could take them outside for a while. Julie and Chris said they wouldn't."

I watched him closely for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not I should go along with it. In the end, I gave him a nod and he got up to leave. Nate was quick to follow with a playful salute, leaving me with the women.

"Ever see a jealous Dixon?" I questioned with an uneasy chuckle.

Carol humoured me with a laugh. "He'll get over it eventually."

I gave her a nod and stood up with a sigh. "Guess I'll go let the kids out. If Daryl jumps Nate let me know."

"Will do," Aleah chuckled.

Running a hand through my hair, I made my way over to the 'kid's table', watching as Sophia's face brightened.

"Ready to go?"

Both Sophia and Carl nodded enthusiastically and stood up to follow me out. Thor was instantly on our heels, tail wagging happily.

"So, do you guys have a ball or anything?" I asked as we neared the exit.

"I found a soccer ball a while ago," Carl informed, "but there's only three of us."

"Four," I corrected with a grin. "Thor and I verse you two. Unless you're scared you'll lose."

A determined look washed over his face and he gave me a nod. "You're on."

Once we got the ball and made it outside, we set up makeshift goals with random pieces of garbage that were in the yard. Then we started to play.

I wasn't out to win or to let them win, just to have fun. For Carl and Sophia, they hadn't been able to be kids for far too long and I wanted to give them some of their happy go lucky childhoods back. If that meant running around, chasing a ball for a few hours, then I'd do it, no questions asked.

"Come on, Sophia! Pass it!"

The young girl wasn't fairing well with the sport, but that didn't mean she wasn't having fun. With an ear to ear smile, she kicked the ball as hard as she could, sending it past Thor and a little ways away from Carl. Before he could get to it, I ran over and threw him over my shoulder, keeping him from reaching the ball.

"Riley, that's cheating! Lem'me go!"

He was laughing as he squirmed to get free, so I kept him there, giving Sophia a chance to score a goal.

"Sophia, the net's open!" Carl called eagerly.

She took a second to comprehend what she was being told, but once she understood, she ran to the ball and started kicking it towards the goal. Thor was bouncing around her excitedly, but not causing her any problems as she ran across the field. Once she was close enough, I let Carl go and watched as Sophia kicked the ball between the posts. As soon as it was through, she turned around excitedly and threw her hands in the air.

"I did it! I scored!"

I couldn't help the smile from spreading on my lips as she jumped around happily with Thor. As they celebrated, Carl had turned to retrieve the ball, but I stopped him and nudged him towards the other two.

"Thanks Riley."

One of my brows raised curiously. "For getting the ball? It's the loser's job after all, right?"

He rolled his eyes briefly and chuckled. "For taking me and Sophia outside. I, uh- we didn't get to play or anything and I think she really enjoyed herself."

A grin worked its way onto my lips at the obvious care he showed for her and I gave him a quick nod before he ran off. Carl might be growing up fast, but he was growing up mature and level headed. I had a feeling he was going to go far in this world, and he was going to do it the right way.

Smiling to myself, I tracked down the soccer ball and started walking in that direction. It had gone over a slight slope and ended up rolling to the fence. When my eyes landed on it, my smile faded and my hand immediately checked for my knives. I had both my kukris strapped on while we were playing so I was in a good position to approach the three men at the fence.

The first one was the tallest, a bald, African-American man, followed by a blond with a handlebar moustache, then lastly, a short, balding man with glasses. I took the three in as I approached, keeping in mind their distinctive blue prison jumpsuits.

"That little girl's got one hell ov'a kick," the blond commented casually. "It's nice that they can go outside and play."

I stayed quiet as I studied them. They must have been the one's Rick mentioned earlier. The group had helped them clear out a cell block for them to stay in and they were to keep their distance.

"Didn't Rick tell you guys to stay clear of the area?" I asked after a minute. "I don't think he'd be happy if he saw you here."

"We're sorry, really," Mr. Moustache continued. "We tried clearing out the bodies, but they were people we knew, good men. It's... It's hard, you know?"

I could feel the sceptical look tugging on my features. "You're prisoners... Not exactly what I'd call 'good people'."

"We haven't killed anyone," he defended quickly. "Sure, I like my pharmaceuticals, but I've never killed anyone."

I took the bit of information in and nodded to the next man. "And you?"

He seemed reluctant to speak, but finally gave in. "B&E."

I turned to the last man, his expression unnerving me slightly. "Tax Fraud."

With one last nod, I picked up the ball, but when I opened my mouth to speak, I was cut off. It wasn't by one of the prisoners though. No, it was a southern drawl that cut me short and it didn't sound all that happy.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Such a fun chapter to write, we'll see how long that lasts anyway XD

If you noticed, I added in another prisoner. He's in the comic books so there might be a slight spoiler later on... woopsies.

And Riley responded with four to Aleah's question because, well... they didn't stop after the last chapter ;P


	8. Bump in the Road

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 8 - Bump in the Road**

* * *

It took nearly an hour of being with Nathan for Daryl to admit to himself that he might have been overreacting. Nathan seemed like a nice enough guy, he actually used his head, and Riley trusted him. A scowl worked its way onto his lips at the last point. Nathan was the one who had Riley's back for seven months when Daryl wasn't there for her. He was the one she relied on and that pissed him off. It was supposed to have been Daryl that kept her safe, but it had been him that put her in danger in the first place.

And to top it all off, Nathan was the kind of guy that could get any girl he wanted. Daryl had seen it time after time growing up, the funny, good looking guy always got the girl. Only this time, Riley was the girl and Daryl would kill him before he could get a hand on her.

"Looks like we can head back," Rick informed as he dragged the last body out. "Once we bring the bodies to the yard Carol can have a look at the supplies."

Nathan nodded his understanding. "This will really come in handy. We lucked out."

Rick gave him a smile and a nod, but Daryl wasn't quite on the Nathan boat just yet. After sharing a look with Rick, Daryl headed for the main hall without a word.

The cop didn't question where he was going, already having an assumption of his own, so with that, Daryl was gone.

"He grows on you, I promise," Rick joked as they watched his back disappear. "He's just not that great at expressing himself- well, the right way anyway."

Nathan humoured him with a laugh as he walked back to the cell block with Rick.

"I guess he has a right to dislike me," Nathan shrugged. "I'd be a little angry if my girl was with another guy for seven months."

While that was supposed to lighten the mood, Rick couldn't help the questioning look on his features. He wouldn't ask, but for all they knew something could have happened between Riley and Nathan. It had happened to Rick with his best friend, so who was to say it was less likely with a stranger?

"No, we didn't hook up," Nathan stated quickly. He saw the look Rick was giving him and he didn't want him to get the wrong idea. "She's a great girl, don't get me wrong, but the second I made a move she put me in my place."

Nathan chuckled fondly at the memory and shook his head. Riley was a pretty passive girl, but the second he had taken an interest in her she had shown him a side of her that told him he was getting nowhere near her pants.

"I think she threatened to castrate me actually," he laughed.

Rick finally joined in on his laughter and gave Nathan a pat on the back. "I'm glad the two of you found us. And thank you for taking care of her. She means a lot to this group."

"It was my pleasure."

While the two men inside were exchanging pleasantries, Daryl kept a stoic look on his face. The whole situation with Nathan left him irritated and the only thing he knew would help was Riley. With her, he felt like he could relax and that's exactly what he needed.

As soon as he stepped through the prison doors, he caught sight of Riley and the kids playing soccer in the yard. Instead of interrupting, he stayed where he was and watched them with interest. When Sophia scored a goal, he hadn't realized that his lips had tugged into a smile. It wasn't a regular occurrence to see the two kids running around and laughing, but he was glad they were.

"Daryl, did you see it? I scored!"

He gave her a nod as he approached, his eyes following Riley as she went to retrieve the ball. At thirty or so feet, she disappeared behind a hill. The calm that the sight of her caused was instantly lost and his chest felt heavy.

"Daryl?"

His attention snapped to Sophia for a moment before he waved her off and followed after Riley.

"Yeah, it was a nice kick. Gim'me a second, alright?"

Both Carl and Sophia exchanged a look as the hunter walked off, but said nothing. It wasn't uncommon for Daryl to brush them off like that so they didn't pay it too much mind.

It didn't take Daryl too long to have Riley in his sights again, but when he saw the three prisoners talking to her his body tensed. Even though he knew they were behind a fence and she had her weapons, his body still pushed him forward, nearly snarling.

"The hell are you tools doin' 'round here?"

Riley had turned around instantly, her arms raised to calm him down. "They haven't done anything wrong, Daryl."

"We didn't mean any harm by it Mister-"

"The hell you didn't." All the while glaring at the men, he grabbed a hold of Riley's arm and pulled her along as he retreated. "You three best stay out'ta sight."

Once they were far enough away, Riley pulled her arm from Daryl's grasp suddenly, directing a glare towards him.

"What the hell was that all about?"

Her look didn't seem to phase him as he turned to her with a scowl. "They're dangerous people, you can't just go over there and have a fuckin' tea party."

"You're joking, right? They weren't doing anything, Daryl."

She stepped up to him and even though she was shorter than him, he still felt the urge to back down. He didn't like seeing her this angry and frustrated, especially because he caused it, but his adrenaline was running wild and he couldn't stop. The way he saw it, she was in danger and after just getting her back he'd be damned if anything were to happen to her again.

"I survived that long on my own, I can handle myself," she defended.

Her statement was meant to reassure him, but it only added fuel to the fire. She didn't survive all that time on her own. No, she was with Nathan. He helped protect her.

With a snarl, Daryl turned heel and started walking off. "Fine, do what you want. Fuckin' Brit's here to save your ass anyways."

My breath caught in my throat at his words. I knew not to over think what he said, especially when he was angry like this, but my mind was racing. It was almost as if he were giving up, telling me to go with Nathan. Was it really that easy for him to do?

"Daryl wait..."

I had at least expected him to turn around, but he didn't even glance back at me as he marched away.

"What happened, Riley...?"

Sophia's voice pulled my attention away from his retreating back and I forced myself to pull it together.

"Nothing to worry about, just a disagreement." Though, I knew that was a lie, I hoped it held some truth.

He was being typical, angry Daryl and pushing me away instead of talking about it, so maybe I was putting too much thought into it. I just needed to relax and give him time. Then maybe I can reassure him once and for all.

"Alright you two, let's head back inside."

I received reluctant nods from each of them before heading back into the prison. Everyone was more or less busying themselves with some sort of task. Beth, Maggie, and Glenn were off in the corner fumbling around with what looked like some prison uniforms. Now that I thought about it, it seemed like a good idea to take advantage of the extra clothing. At least this way we could have clean clothes.

"Never really took Glenn for a sewing boy," Dale joked as he approached.

I gave him a quick smile and leaned against one of the tables. "He's probably messing things up. I've only seen one guy sew successfully and he played for the other team."

Dale chuckled at my assumption and shrugged. "He has some motivation to learn."

The way the older man wiggled his brows made me burst out laughing, instantly vetoing the foul mood I was in. It was just a reminder of why I had missed Dale so much. The second he saw someone down he always did his best to cheer them up or lend a hand. It was hard enough to find someone like that before the apocalypse let alone during it.

"So Dale, is there anything I can do to lend a hand? Other than sewing, because I don't think that'll help out with Daryl."

The second I mentioned Daryl, Dale's brow raised towards me in understanding. "So that's what's going on with you. He's had you back for less than a day and he's causing problems already."

I chuckled softly at his observations and shrugged. "He thinks something's going on between me and Nate. Well, I think that's what's up anyway. You know how he expresses himself."

He gave a nod of understanding, his gaze moving to where Nathan and Aleah were sitting. "You know I have to ask... Is there anything between you two?"

With a sigh of exasperation, I shook my head. "Nothing more than the fact that we had to rely on each other for more than half a year. You bond fast with other people in this world we're stuck in, so I can understand a little bit of jealousy."

"But with a Dixon it's twenty times more so," Dale finished for me. "You know he won't talk first, so maybe you could set thing straight once and for all. Put his mind at ease."

I opened my mouth to reply, but shut it quickly and chewed on my lip for a moment. If I spoke first, then it was like admitting he was in the right for behaving that way instead of talking to me about it. Then on the other hand, if I let my ego win, it could hurt my relationship with Daryl.

I was torn between the two options, but in the end, Daryl won- he'd always win. When I was in school, one of my teachers told us a quote by John Rubkin's. It's better to lose your pride with someone you love rather than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride. I had scoffed at it at first, but now I understood. I cared more about Daryl than anything, even my pride.

"I'll clear things up. Thanks, Dale."

I received a knowing smile and a nod before I headed off to the cell block. Daryl wasn't around just yet, so I figured I'd get started and claim a cell for us. It wouldn't take too much effort to move his makeshift bed to the bottom bunk in the room so that's where I started.

By the time I had placed the last blanket down, Daryl approached from behind, stopping at the cell's entrance. I hadn't turned from what I was doing, but I knew it was him. I could remember how his footsteps sounded, the way he would shift his crossbow when he was uneasy, and most importantly, how I could feel his eyes on me.

Call me cheesy or weird for paying that much attention, but I couldn't help it- not when the reason I was still alive was the man standing behind me.

"Didn' know if you'd come back," he finally said.

His tone wasn't one he used around the others, instead, it was softer and cautious. Maybe he realized he was being a jerk earlier. It would make my job that much easier anyway.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," I replied, still keeping my back to him.

It was silent for a moment before he made his way over to me. My body had been tense in anticipation, but when I felt his hands on my hips I instantly relaxed. The gesture was a good sign, even though I could tell he was having a hard time with words at that moment.

With a breath, I turned around to face him, making sure to catch his eyes with my own.

"You don't have to worry about Nate," I started. His eyes bore into mine as I spoke and as much as my reflex was telling me to look away, I made sure to hold his gaze. "I love you, Daryl. Not Nathan and not anyone else. You. Nothing's going to change that."

For a moment, it looked as if he ate something sour, but it don't last long before he moved closer and pressed his lips to mine. I took it as a good sign and melted into the kiss, allowing him to pull my body against his. When he parted, it was only for a second, his lips brushing against mine as he spoke.

"Ain't gon'na lose you again..."

Smiling against his lips, I ran my fingers through the hair at the back of his head. A content sigh escaped his lips and he rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closing peacefully. If we could stay like this forever, I'm sure we would have. Time spent like this was precious and I wouldn't give it up for anything.

There was a comfortable silence that hung over us, but it was interrupted as a gunshot echoed through the prison. Without a second thought, we both parted and turned to the hallway. Everyone knew not to use guns in the prison and the halls had been cleared of walkers, so something was up and I doubted it was good.

"Just stay in your room, I'll check it out," I heard Rick instruct from the next room over.

When he got to our cell, he gave Daryl a look, instantly receiving a nod from him. Without a second thought, Rick moved on as Daryl gathered his crossbow. I had reached for my knives to come help, but Daryl stopped me and shook his head.

"Stay here."

He must have known an argument was coming because he added a please afterwards. He wasn't one to use words like that, so very reluctantly I dropped my hand and nodded.

"Be safe."

He gave me one last kiss before following after Rick, leaving me to worry about what had happened and what could happen. It was times like this that I'd rather go with them and be in danger than to be clueless on the sidelines.

* * *

**Footnote:**

I hope that POV swap was okay. I was thinking of having a page break, but I didn't want to chop it up like that.

Also, there's going to be a lot of changes from the tv show in Shadows. I wanted to change things up and keep everyone from getting bored. Hopefully that's the case :)

Aha! I did forget something yesterday and Monday! I posted a new pic on my deviantArt page last weekend and you should all go check it out. I'm not even going to try to post a link here because fanfic is a meanie and won't show it, so go to my bio and there's a link to my account there :)


	9. This Day Keeps Getting Worse

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 9 - This Day Keeps Getting Worse**

* * *

By the time Daryl had come back, I had successfully paced across the small cell at least twenty times. There was another gunshot when I hit twenty one, causing me to lose count. I agreed to stay there though, so I searched for another way to distract myself. I was in the process of waxing the pull string of my crossbow when Daryl walked in, his lips pulled in a frustrated frown.

The second I noticed him, I stood up to meet him halfway, but he just walked past me and let himself drop down onto the bunk. Seeing him act like that worried me, but I didn't question it. Instead, I joined him on the small bed and lay against his side with my head on his chest. As soon as I did, I felt his arms wrap around my waist.

"Julie and Chris are dead..."

My head shot up at his statement, but his gaze didn't budge from the top of the bunk bed. He looked genuinely upset about the news, but I hadn't seen any moments where he showed anything for the two teenagers.

I stayed quiet though, opting to rub his chest comfortingly. It seemed to ease him slightly.

"It was some sort'a suicide pact. Sex, then they were gon'na shoot each other and 'be together forever' or some crap." His lips pulled into a scowl and he scoffed. "Chris shot first and killed Julie before she could get 'er shot off. When we got there, Tyreese had already found 'er dead. He was waitin' for her to come back, but when she did, Chris shot her again."

I stopped moving my hand for a moment, thinking through what he said before resuming.

"What did Tyreese do...?"

My voice was lower than I had anticipated, fearing what the answer could be.

"He strangled Chris and killed him. Then told us he'd clean up the mess by the morning." Daryl's eyes closed and he breathed heavily out his nose. "Whole thing's fucked up."

With a nod, I brushed my fingers through his hair, finally drawing his eyes to me. After the CDC, I knew where Daryl stood on giving up and opting out, and I'm glad he had been there to convince me that living was the best choice.

Not only that, but Tyreese had killed someone, someone living. Were we just supposed to turn a blind eye or something? Pretend it didn't happen? There has to be some sort of punishment or precautions we have to take, right? When it was Randal, Tyreese had no problem punishing him with death, so wouldn't it be hypocritical if we let him off the hook?

Daryl must have seen the gears spinning in my head because after a moment he spoke up.

"Rick wants to keep it from the others, tell them Chris and Julie committed suicide."

I chewed on my lip as I considered his choice. I wasn't exactly okay with it, but in the end Rick was in charge.

"What do you think we should do?"

Daryl kept his eyes on me as he thought it through. "He reminded me of Shane back there... Runnin' on pure emotion. He ain't safe to be around."

While I hadn't actually met Shane, I had heard stories of him; how he had led the group before Rick got there; his affair with Lori; and how he had gone after Rick, only to get gunned down. He didn't seem like the kind of guy I'd want leading the group or even being in it.

"Rick's got the final say though and he's done right by me so far," Daryl mused.

I gave him a small nod and buried my face in the crook of his neck. I guess we'd just have to go along with it for now. Rick was smart, he could handle it.

* * *

The next day, Daryl and I had gone outside curiously. The issue from last night wasn't just something that we could put aside and forget, so we wanted to see where the situation was at for the time being. When we stepped into the yard, we found Tyreese filling in a set of graves. Rick had gotten there a bit earlier and was watching with a frown on his lips. I was curious if either of them would say anything about it to me (seeing as I 'shouldn't' know about what happened),but it wasn't long before Rick spoke up, keeping his voice from reaching Tyreese's ears.

"Last night, Chris and Julie killed each oth-"

I raised a hand to stop him from continuing. "I heard what happened. What are you going to do about him?"

Rick's eyes studied me briefly, most likely trying to figure out which story I had heard. I figured I'd help him out.

"Does your 'no killing' rule apply to Tyreese too?"

His eyes narrowed before he turned to Daryl, clearly upset.

"You told her? What did I say, Daryl?"

For a moment, I thought Daryl would lash back at him, but he kept a level head and stood his ground.

"You can lie to the others all you want, but I ain't lyin' to her."

Rick held his gaze, his mind working over the situation carefully. When he finally snapped out of it, he turned to me.

"Don't tell anyone. It's... It's better this way," Rick explained. "Tyreese wasn't- you don't act like yourself after you find your child dead. He's fine, just give him some time."

I understood what he was getting at, but at the same time, it just sounded like he was making excuses. I gave him a nod none the less though. I trusted Rick's judgement.

Before anything else could be said, Tyreese walked past us silently, only speaking when he was by the door.

"I'm going to take Aleah and Nathan to clear out the gym. That cool with you?"

I doubted he was actually looking for permission, but Rick gave him the go ahead anyway. As soon as the door was opened, Thor wandered out into the yard with Sophia in tow. I could only assume that the two were really close now. It made sense since Thor had been with her when she was lost. Plus, my Bernese loved kids.

"Sophia, where's your mom? Shouldn't you be with her?" I had almost said Chris and Julie instead, but I was thankful I caught myself early enough.

"She's helping Hershel with Lori. He says he wants to go for a walk," she answered with a smile.

Her innocence was just about enough to make me forget I was about to scold her for being on her own, but it didn't seem to win Daryl over. Not completely anyway.

"You know you ain't suppose'ta be runnin' around on your own." He sent her a disapproving look which she pouted at.

"I just wanted to go outside..."

For a moment- just a split second- I saw Daryl's demeanour falter, but he was quick to cover it up and huff in annoyance.

"Whatever, just stay with Riley."

A smile was quick to form on my lips as my name slipped from his lips. Yeah, much better than that Blondie crap he used to call me around the others. That was definitely something I hadn't missed.

"Why don't we head out front and move the vehicles to a better location?" Rick suggested. "We can set them up like we did at the farm."

He looked over at us for an opinion so I gave him a nod.

"Sounds good to me," Daryl agreed. "Glenn and Maggie are out front in the guard tower. They can give us a hand."

Rick's brows furrowed at the news. "They were just up there last night."

Apparently he hadn't caught on, but I was guessing the snicker I failed to hide gave him an idea. When we got to the front of the prison and called up to them, it was pretty obvious what they were up to.

"Glenn, you comin'?" Daryl called.

I caught onto the innuendo instantly and laughed. Even Rick and Daryl started laughing when Glenn stepped out of the guard tower's room while doing up his pants.

"I'll be down in a second."

Daryl snickered this time. "You bet'cher ass you will."

The laughter continued for a little longer before Rick stopped suddenly and glared off to the side. Daryl and I caught on quickly and followed his gaze, spotting the three prisoners from earlier.

"That's close enough," Rick instructed as he marched towards them.

Daryl followed suit, but when I tried, he stopped me and gave me the 'stay put' look. If I didn't have Sophia with me I would have argued it, but I had her to watch over.

I could hear a bit of their conversation, so it wasn't too difficult to put the pieces together. Like the prisoners had told me earlier, they were having a hard time living in the cell block where all their friends' bodies were. Daryl told them they were supposed to burn the bodies, but they countered and said something about the fence being broken and walkers were around.

That's about when Glenn and Maggie walked out of the guard tower. They joined Rick and Daryl for a moment before the four of them walked over to me.

"They don't want to live in that cell block anymore," Rick informed once he was close enough. "Any suggestions?"

No one said anything at first until Daryl spoke up.

"Used to know guys like them- hell, I grew up with them. They ain't bad people."

"So you're okay with them living with us?" Rick asked sceptically.

"Hell no, let'em take their chances on the road."

The way the conversation was going, it sounded like these guys only had two options; the cell block and the road. Neither seemed all that appealing, but maybe there was something else we could do.

"What if we help them clear out the bodies and fix up the fence?" I suggested with a shrug. "They get what they want and so do we."

"That's putting our people at risk," Rick replied after a moment.

"I'll volunteer then, it'll be quick."

Running a hand through his hair, Rick turned to me with a straight face.

"No. None of us are going in there. The deal was that we clear the cell block and they have to stay in it. If they don't agree then they can leave."

My brows pulled together at his stern reply and I found myself needing to retort. Following a leader, I could do, but following a dictator was another thing all together.

"I said I'll do it, Rick. That's my decision to make."

"It's not your decision anymore. We have to look out for our own," he corrected sternly. "None of us are getting involved."

I wanted to argue, but Daryl nudged me slightly, silently telling me to back down. I didn't like it and I didn't think it was right, but I grit my teeth and stayed quiet anyways. Rick had a point, but it still didn't seem fair at all.

"We'll give them a weeks worth of food and send them off," Rick declared after a moment.

The others nodded their agreement and Rick turned back to the prisoners to let them know. When he was out of earshot, I leaned towards Daryl.

"Are you really okay with this? Isn't it worse than killing them?"

He didn't look at me at first, but when he did, he didn't seem all that remorseful.

"We gave them a choice and we killed the geeks for them," he answered. "They're making the choice to leave, not us."

"But..." I stopped myself short and sighed. I wasn't going to get anywhere or convince them otherwise, so I was just wasting my breath. I wasn't happy about losing my sense of control, but I couldn't do anything about it. And that only made it worse.

"Put yourself in their position," I instructed, but he didn't seem phased so I change it up slightly. "Put me in their position. Just think about that."

I saw a bit of understanding sink in at my words so I left it at that. Us survivors had to start helping each other out, not go by survival of the fittest. If that's what it would come down to, it was going to turn into an even uglier world.

"Alright, let's head out there," Rick called as he walked over to the gate.

He and Glenn had just finished locking up the prisoners in the small enclosed entrance and were moving to their next task. I felt bad for the three guys, I really did, but it seemed as if I couldn't do anything about it.

"Stay with-" Daryl must have seen my unimpressed look, because he stopped for a second and shifted the weight of his crossbow. "Do you mind stayin' with Sophia?"

I shook my head and gave him a peck on the cheek before watching him follow after Rick, Glenn, and Maggie. I might have been overreacting about the whole 'being bossed around' bit, but it was starting to get beyond annoying now.

"Riley, look, Hershel's up!"

Sophia's voice brought my attention to her, then to where she was pointing excitedly. True to her word, Hershel was making his way down the set of stairs, with little to no help needed. Lori, Carl, Beth, Dale, and Carol were all with him, but every time they offered their help, he brushed them off and continued on with his crutches.

Seeing Hershel moving around and smiling about it was like a beacon of hope. Hershel had been bit and was supposed to die, but he beat the odds and survived. Even Rick and the others across the yard couldn't help but turn and smile. There was a calm, happy feeling that seemed to wash over the group...

And then all hell broke loose.

"Walkers!"

* * *

**Footnote:**

Uh oh, shits going down. Stupid Andrew and stuff, bah.  
On a side note, what would you guys have done with the prisoners if it was up to you? I'm pretty much on board with Riley's plan (maybe that's why I did that subconsciously .), but like... I dunno, it's a tough call. Any thoughts?


	10. Nowhere to Run

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 10 - Nowhere to Run**

* * *

I had tried not to, but it was too easy to let your guard down when you were given somewhere safe. After all that time on the road, having to constantly look over your shoulder, it was nice to finally relax. But it also left us vulnerable to the danger we had forgotten.

Moving quickly, I loaded an arrow into my crossbow and stepped in front of Sophia. There looked to be two dozen walkers, if not more, and I had a feeling this was going to turn into one big shit show.

"How did they get in here?" Carol questioned in a panic.

Along with Lori and Carl, she drew her gun and started shooting the walkers that filtered through the open gate. If she was expecting an answer, I doubt she was going to get one. All that was running through my head now was that we had a man with one leg, a pregnant woman, and two children to protect.

"Beth, help your father get up there and close the gate," I instructed hastily.

The second she saw where I was pointing, she turned to Hershel and lead him towards what I had deemed a 'safe area'. By that time, the walkers were starting to get uncomfortably close. When I turned to Lori, Maggie was assisting her towards a door opposite of Beth and Hershel.

I was hoping Glenn, Rick, and Daryl had run back with Maggie, but they were still on the other side of the fence, running to help us.

"That gate needs to be closed!" I heard Dale shout.

"Dale, I'll-" Before I could finish, he ran off towards the open gate.

I managed to take down a walker in his blind spot with an arrow, but not even a moment later, I had to switch to my knives and protect Sophia. I caught sight of Carol covering him though, so he should be fine-

It was his scream of pain that broke through my thoughts though and I turned in time to watch a walker take a chunk out of his neck.

I've heard people say that time slows down in these situations, but for me it only sped up. It felt as if I had the air knocked out of me at the sight, but I wasn't given time to help him or even recover before I felt Sophia tug at the back of my shirt.

I couldn't lose focus now. I had to fight and keep Sophia safe. With that sole intention, I carved a path through the walkers towards the door the others had gone through. I was panicking now though, and the darkness of the hall wasn't helping matters. The only thing I was thankful for at the moment was that there were no walkers in sight. That was about the only good thing at the time.

"Riley, I'm scared," Sophia cried.

Thor leaned into her for support, but she still clung to me for dear life.

"It'll be okay," I cooed. "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Though the words were supposed to reassure her, they had been for myself as well. I would get her through this though, I had to.

"Stay close and keep quiet."

She nodded quickly, and stayed glued to my side as I loaded another bolt and walked forward. I had no clue which way the others had gone, but as long as we weren't headed towards any walkers, we'd be fine.

That was, until an alarm went off in the prison. I was worried that it would draw in more walkers, but that wasn't what I should have been worried about. The section of the prison we had wandered into was severely damaged and the blaring alarm caused it the start shifting threateningly.

It wasn't until small pieces of rubble started falling did I realize that we were in big trouble. I had tried grabbing Sophia and running back out of the collapsing hallways, but we didn't get far before the big chunks of cement stared to fall.

Here we were, in a zombie fucking apocalypse, and we were going to get killed by inanimate objects. For fuck's sake.

In the next moment, I found myself laying over Sophia with heavy pieces of rubble against my back. It took a second to register what had happened and to feel the warm liquid trailing down the back of my head.

"Sophia... Are you okay...?"

I could hear my voice shake slightly from the strain as I tried pushing away from the ground to give the small girl some breathing room. She seemed to be in good condition, aside from the fact that she was crying.

As soon as she gave me a nod, I tried getting the chunks of cement off my back. Thankfully, they weren't as heavy as I had thought at first, but they were also not as light as I had hoped.

Needless to say, it took quite a bit of effort to get clear of all the debris and help Sophia up. The second I was on my feet though, I felt the world spin and I stumbled briefly. Definitely not what I'd call a good sign... Maybe even a concussion. Just what I needed.

"Where's Thor...?"

Sophia's question made my body freeze and I looked around frantically with wide eyes. The side of the hallway we were heading in was completely blocked off by the collapsed ceiling and there was no sign of my Bernese anywhere. There wasn't any sight of blood in the area, which I was very grateful for, but that only meant that I had lost my dog once more... Maybe this time for good.

"Thor?"

Sophia started wailing as I looked around for him, but I couldn't find him. I didn't want to stop looking and admit that he was gone, but when the sounds of groaning echoed through the halls, I knew I didn't have a choice.

Crouching down in front of Sophia I put my hands on her shoulders and did my best to calm her down. I could feel myself on the verge of breaking down, but I had to hold it together and get her out of this mess.

"Sophia, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, but you have to promise me that you'll stay strong. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded hesitantly and wiped her eyes. The sight of her so distraught pained me, but I could understand how hard this must be for her. Carl had toughened up over the time I had been separated from the group, but I could only assume that Carol continued to coddle Sophia.

"We have to go back the way we came, okay?"

A look of pure fear washed over her features and she shook her head quickly. "They're out there, we can't-"

"We can and we have to. They won't touch you, I promise."

I didn't wait for her to reply, just grabbed my kukris and lead her back through the hall. There were a few strangling walkers around that I had to deal with, but most of them had probably been lead elsewhere. My kills weren't as easy as normal though. My head was throbbing and my body ached, causing my movements to be sloppy.

You could only imagine my relief when we finally stepped outside and most of the group was out there doing a head count.

My eyes had passed over Aleah and Nate before stopping on Daryl. Even as Sophia buried her face into my stomach and started crying again, my attention didn't leave him. My eyes stung, wanting so badly to burst, but I wouldn't let them. Not yet.

No words were spoken as Daryl walked over and pulled me into his arms, keeping Sophia with us as well. It didn't take him long to find the blood at the back of my head and a worried expression to take over his face.

He didn't say anything- correction, he didn't have time to say anything before my head hit his shoulder and I was out cold.

Told you it was going to be a shit show.

"Daryl, is she-"

He was quick to cut Aleah off as he supported Riley's weight.

"She's unconscious." He swore under his breath and turned to the young girl at his side. "Sophia, what happened?"

He hadn't meant for his voice to sound so forceful, but he couldn't help it and Sophia darted over to Aleah before sobbing into her stomach.

Guilt flashed through him at the fact that he made her cry even more, but he had other things to worry about- mainly the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Daryl, bring her here," Hershel instructed.

The older man must have sensed his panic and Daryl made his way over without a second thought.

"The back of her head's bleeding," he informed as he lay her down on an old picnic table.

Positioning her head on his lap, Daryl rolled her onto her side, allowing Hershel to get a better look at the injury.

"Could be a concussion," the older man informed grimly. "And it will most likely require stitches."

A scowl formed on Daryl's lips at the news, but they didn't have a chance to do anything about it before Maggie and Carl approached from inside the building. It didn't take long to see that there was a baby in Maggie's arms and that Lori was nowhere to be seen.

"No... She..." Rick stumbled forward towards Maggie, but she just shook her head, tears streaking her cheeks. "No... No..."

The second Rick's eyes landed on Carl, he all but collapsed to the ground sobbing. Nothing else was spoken out loud, but between the looks the group sent to each other, they knew what needed to be done.

Sensing Maggie's obvious distraught expression, Aleah ushered Nate forward to take the newborn from Maggie. As soon as her hands were free, she burried her face into Glenn's chest and cried quietly. Everyone was starting to feel the outcome of Andrew's attack and no one could deny the helplessness they felt.

Andrew had been the prisoner that Rick locked out of the prison and had been attacked by walkers- or so they assumed. To their misfortune, he was very much alive and let the walkers into the prison as revenge. The group had found him and it had been Oscar that killed him in the heat of a fight. The three remaining prisoners had helped out and proved their worth, but at what cost? Dale, Lori, and Carol were all dead, Riley was down for the count, and they now had a newborn baby to take care of without it's mother.

All these thoughts were swimming through Daryl's head as Aleah stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up at her, he knew what her look meant. She wanted to drop the role of leader onto him.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary..." She informed quietly. "Rick won't respond and you've been his right hand for a while now."

Her suggestion didn't come as a surprise to him, and he didn't mind, but there was one thing tying him down at the moment- one person he couldn't let slip away.

"I'll watch over her," Aleah told him.

After a moment, he gave in and nodded. As much as Riley needed him, the group needed him that much more right now.

Moving a stray hair from Riley's face, he stood up and made his way to where Rick was kneeling and crouched down in front of him.

"Rick, snap out of it. We still need you," he tried.

Rick didn't budge though, and his eyes didn't even look as if he were seeing Daryl in front of him. Glenn just shook his head and stepped away to give him some space.

"Rick, come on."

His eyes suddenly lit up, but it didn't take Daryl long to realize that it wasn't his words he was reacting to. Daryl tried to stop Rick as he took off into the prison with an axe, but Rick just shoved him to the side and continued on his way.

There wasn't much he could do about Rick now, so he turned to the next thing in line. The baby.

"We need food for the baby," he stated as he ran a hand through his damp hair. "What can they eat?"

Hershel didn't lift his attention from Riley as he spoke, which Daryl appreciated. "We need baby formula. Lots of baby formula."

Daryl turned to Glenn next. "Do we have any?"

The southerner felt his shoulders drop as Glenn shook his head. "We mapped out a few places to check, but we never had the chance to go."

"Let's get movin' then."

Both Maggie and Glenn moved to follow him to the truck, but Maggie stopped Glenn mid stride.

"There's a lot of cars up there, we won't be able to make it in that."

Daryl only paused for a second before directing himself to his bike.

"I'll take just you then," he told her as he hopped onto the bike. "You know the way, right?"

With a quick nod, she said her goodbyes to Glenn, then slid onto the bike behind Daryl. He could only hope they were right about finding supplies at this place. It seemed like that was all anyone could do now. Hope...

It was starting to get difficult to even do that.

* * *

**Footnote:**

I was going to be all 'yay, double digits', but then I remembered what happened in the chap.. heh. When Lori died in the show, I remember a bunch of my friends pretty much celebrating it, but man, that was probably one of the saddest scenes in the season. I mean, sure, she did some stupid stuff, but cut the woman some slack lol

I was really excited to post the next chapter too, but then I realized that it's Friday D:


	11. It'll Take Time

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 11 - It'll Take Time**

* * *

When I woke, everything felt... Off. My body was throbbing, the back I my head felt like it had a knife in it, and I couldn't even open my eyes. For a while I felt as if I couldn't even move. Definitely not a good sign.

And then I remembered what had happened. The walkers getting in, Dale getting bit, the prison collapsing- shit, I was still in the prison. The building had collapsed and I was trapped under the rubble-

Oh shit, Sophia.

That finally got me moving, but it only forced a cry of pain from my lips. I was hurt bad, but I had to get up, had to get Sophia to safety, had to open my eyes.

I felt someone place their hands on my shoulders and I flinched back.

"Riley, you're fine. Relax."

The voice calmed me down and I finally opened my eyes, coming face to face with Nate. Wait, had none of that actually happened...? The prison, finding Daryl, my family...

My throat and eyes burned and I could feel tears threatening to fall.

"Hey now... Don't cry..." Nate's brows had turned upwards and his grip tightened on my arms comfortingly. "Daryl just went for some supplies, he'll be back soon."

My brows furrowed in confusion... Daryl was here...?

"Give her a second, Nate. I don't think she's all there yet."

The second voice was one I couldn't misplace.

"Aleah...?"

"In the flesh," she answered, taking a seat on the side of the bed I was on. "Do you remember what happened?"

I raked my mind, but I couldn't remember anything after the rubble started to fall.

"You and Sophia made it out of the prison," she informed. "And then you passed out."

I listened closely to her words, my mind slowly putting the pieces back together. That's right... I got Sophia out of the prison... And there weren't anymore walkers. We were safe.

I felt relief wash over me and Nate's lips finally pulled into a smile.

"There she is," he teased.

Aleah chuckled softy and placed her hand on my leg. "Get some rest, alright?"

As much as I wanted to sleep, I felt my brow raise in her direction. "Aren't you not supposed to sleep after a head injury?"

She shrugged. "Hershel said that as long as you're responsive it's fine. Rest will be good for you."

I gave her a nod, despite the questions that were still on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to ask about the others; who had made it and who hadn't, but at the same time, I was too scared to ask. She seemed to notice my hesitance.

"We'll tell you everything that happened later, okay?"

Aleah give me a smile at my grateful look and stood up before pulling Nate out of the room with her.

"Think she'll be okay?" He asked once they were clear from the room.

Aleah had put on a brave face while she was talking to Riley, but after all that had happened, her shoulders visibly dropped.

"Do you think any of us will be okay?" She countered.

Carol had become like a mother to her and now that woman was gone. Dale too, and Lori. They were all dead now and Aleah was starting to really feel the loss. Add that in with Tyreese and she was surprised she was able to keep it together for so long.

Earlier in the day, Tyreese had gone to get Nathan and herself to help him clear out the gym, but they hadn't expected so many walkers to be in there. At first they just let the walkers come to them so they could take them out safely, but Tyreese was being impatient and moved further into the room. It was only seconds before he was surrounded and the two had to get out before they got trapped as well.

"We'll get through this," Nathan told her.

Though that's what he was saying, she couldn't keep the tears from falling. Sure, in the end, they'd make it, but knowing the ones that didn't make it hurt.

Without another word, he pulled Aleah into his arms and held her closely.

"We'll get through this," he repeated quietly.

Neither moved until Aleah's sobbing had died down and even then, Nathan kept his arms around her, hoping to ease her even the slightest amount.

Once she was feeling better, she took a slow step back, her cheeks flushed from more than just the tears.

"Thanks, Nathan..."

He gave her a smile in return. "Just Nate's fine."

Not trusting her words, she nodded, then turned to make her way to the cell's main area. Nathan followed close behind, spotting Daryl and Maggie as they entered from the opposite side.

"Find anything?" Hershel asked.

He had finished looking over the newborn a short while ago and had handed her over to Beth. The young girl seemed to have a knack for keeping the baby calm and she even seemed to enjoy the newborn's presence.

"We should have enough supplies here for now," Maggie answered as she and Daryl put a few bags down. "How is she doing?"

"Very well, considering," Hershel replied.

It was tough to figure out how the baby was doing without any advanced technology, but from what Hershel could tell, the baby girl was as healthy as a baby could be.

"Beth can you help me get her things set up?"

The young blond nodded happily and followed after her sister with the baby securely in her arms.

The rest of the group was quiet, but even with that being the case, Daryl saw the look Aleah was sending him. With a sigh, he followed after her into the hall. He still had all of his gear on and he was tired. All he wanted to do was check on Riley and then get some sleep. Hopefully Tyreese would be up for playing leader for a few hours.

And that's when he realized Tyreese wasn't around. That couldn't be good...

"Where is he?"

Aleah fidgeted slightly, avoiding Daryl's eyes. "We were clearing out the gym, but Tyreese went crazy and ran in... He got surrounded, so we had to bail."

Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly and he felt his body tense. He was never a fan of Tyreese, but he was part of their group. A loss is a loss.

"Did you see his body?"

Aleah's brows furrowed and she looked up at him sceptically. "He was surrounded by walkers. There's no way he made it."

"But you don't know?" Daryl clarified.

Nathan shook his head, instantly having to dodge Daryl as he drew his crossbow and marched past them.

"We have'ta know for sure. If he's dead then we make sure he stays that way."

His logic made perfect sense, so both Aleah and Nathan followed after him. When they got to the gym, they quickly removed the chains off the doors and pushed them open. They would have never expected to see Tyreese sitting against the wall beside a pile of dead walkers. There was blood and guts everywhere, but Tyreese was alive.

"Took you guys long enough."

I wasn't sure how long I had been out for, but as I sat up, I could hear the group moving around in the other room... And I could smell food. My stomach growled in anticipation, but I doubted I'd be moving that quickly to get there.

"You like that, huh, Sweetie?"

The voice was faint, and to be honest, I hadn't recognized it at first, but it was Daryl's voice. And he was... Cooing? What the hell...?

With whatever strength I could muster, I slid off the bed and wandered onto the perch of the cell block. From the second floor, I could see everyone in the area, but it was Daryl that my eyes glued themselves too- him and the baby in his arms. That would definitely explain the cooing.

I couldn't help the smile that spread on my lips at the sight of him feeding the small baby. He was smiling too and I felt myself swoon. If I wasn't already in love with him, I would have been the moment I saw this.

"It's good, ain't it, Little Asskicker?"

He looked around the room briefly for everyone's reaction to the name, but when his eyes found mine, his smile widened. Without another word, he carefully handed the baby to Beth then started walking in my direction.

The others had noticed I was there and offered me a smile or two of recognition. Once Daryl was in front of me though, they turned their attention elsewhere.

"How are you feeling?"

Daryl was the first to speak and I felt myself craving his embrace. Before answering, I moved into his arms and rested my head against his shoulder.

"Not too bad, it could be worse."

I felt him nod before he pulled me closer.

"You scared the crap out'ta me, you know that?" He questioned.

Pressing a kiss to his jaw, I mumbled a sorry and stepped back slowly. I had made it out with a few injuries, but I knew others hadn't. Now was as good a time as any to hear the bad news.

He must have understood my expression because he took my hand and lead the way back to our room. Once we were there, he sat down on the bed and pulled me beside him.

"Carol, Dale, Lori, and the mu- Thor..."

That's all I needed to hear to understand what he meant. They had all been lost during the attack, gone from our lives just like that.

Before I knew it, tears streaked my cheeks and I found myself in Daryl's arms once more. While he probably thought this was just for me, I hoped I could comfort him as well. I knew that he and Carol had gotten close over the months and that he must be hurting too. He wouldn't show it, but the way his breath quickened gave it away.

"How's everyone else...?" I asked after a short while.

Daryl's gaze wandered into the hall in thought. "They seem to be holdin' it together... Except for Rick. He's... He's takin' it hard. Ran off into the catacombs on his own a few hours ago."

I nodded slowly, worry working its way to my features.

"I'm gon'na go look for him if he doesn't show soon," he told me when he saw my look. "I think Hershel already talked to him earlier."

Once more, I nodded, then leaned into Daryl's side. I knew I'd have to deal with our friends' deaths and move on, but for now I wanted to just stay here and mourn our loss. In this world, we rarely had the opportunity to do so, and I wasn't going to let this one slip by.

Daryl seemed to hold the same sentiment as he lay down and let me rest my head on his chest. We needed the down time desperately. It was only a matter of time before something else would hit the group and we were going to be prepared this time around.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Welp, that was an interesting roller-coaster of moods lol Also, I must bring to attention that scene with Daryl and Little Asskicker. I'm pretty sure ovaries across the world exploded from that episode and girls of all ages swooned XD

And if you're wondering why the hell I'm posting (and awake for that matter) at this time, it's because I have to work at 9 and its either I post now or at 6pm x.x Wednesday and Friday are going to be the same deal. Just a heads up~


	12. Distractions

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 12 - Distractions**

* * *

We let another day go by in mourning before we finally agreed to go do something productive. The others seemed to find things to distract themselves as well. Glenn and Maggie were back to working on converting prison jumpsuits into clothing, Beth was taking care of the baby, Aleah and Nate were distracting Carl and Sophia, and Tyreese was cleaning out the yard with help from the three prisoners- yeah, they had finally given them a chance. S'about time if you ask me.

The only one I hadn't seen in a while was Rick. He had dropped by once or twice to check on Carl, but other than that, he was off doing who-knows-what. Hershel checked on him every so often, but I was still worried about him. Knowing Rick, he saw the attack as his fault and he was beating himself up about it. Add that in with the death of Lori and I could see why he was so out of it.

"You think 'cause you're spacing out that I'll do all the work?" Daryl prodded with a smirk.

I shook my head quickly, half to clear my mind and half as a response. Daryl and I had decided to clean out the gym so people could come here for some down time. There was even a weight room and some more sports equipment for the kids.

"You're gon'na owe me for doin' all the work, you know," he continued.

I turned to give him an apologetic smile, but my cheeks instantly flushed at the suggestive look he was giving me. I was tempted to give in to his teasing, but with all that had happened- screw it. I needed this.

"There's a clean spot over here," I teased.

My comment made him raise a brow, an amused smirk tugging on his lips. We had pretty much cleared out the gym and were just mopping up the floor. In all honestly, there was a clean spot where I was standing.

Keeping the same look on his face, he put his mop down and walked over to me. "You mean you actually did some cleanin'?"

My lips pulled at the corner. "I'm not just a pretty face, Daryl."

"And don't I know it." That brought a chuckle to his lips. "You sure 'bout this? It ain't that clean."

"Since when do you care about cleanliness?"

He didn't answer at first, just pulled me in by the hips and brought his lips to my neck. "Ain't gon'na be my back on the floor."

I felt a shiver work its way through my body and I tilted my head to the side, giving him access to more of my neck. He didn't stop kissing and nipping at my skin until he pulled my shirt over my head. A moment later, he lowered me down, easing my bare back to the cool floor.

"Be quick, the floor's cold," I teased.

I felt his hips grind against mine, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Well you better get used to it, 'cause I'm takin' my time."

* * *

Close to an hour or so later, we were both spent and more relaxed than we'd been in days. Stress and frustration was a dangerous thing to let build up and what better way to relieve it?

"Anywhere else in the prison you'd like to christen?" I chuckled as I slid on my jeans.

He sent me a playful smirk and started tying up his shoes as he watched me. "Glenn and Maggie already got the watch tower, and the showers been done. Laundry room?"

Chuckling softly, I accepted my shirt as he held out for me and threw it on. "I don't know... Glenn and Maggie have been in there quite often..."

Daryl let out a scoff as he moved to continue cleaning. "Ain't got proof."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're thinking with the wrong head, Daryl."

He sent me a playful look with a hint of flirtation. It made me realize how far out of his shell he had become and I loved it. I could still remember the day Andrea and Rick had warned me about him, and the times he had given me the cold shoulder. I couldn't even begin to explain how happy I was that he was finally expressing himself instead of hiding.

"Looks like you're thinkin' with the wrong head too," Daryl taunted.

Blinking quickly, I realized I had been staring at him and my cheeks flushed instantly.

"Girl's don't get- uh..." I looked away and continued mopping. "Just one."

I heard him chuckle again before he continued working. "Well, ya had that look on your face again."

"What look...?"

I looked up curiously, hoping he wasn't trying to impersonate it.

"That little grin you get when you're thinkin' 'bout sex."

My head shook almost instantly and heat rose to my cheeks. "I'm not thinking about sex when I do it, I'm thinking about you."

My statement seemed to catch him off guard, if the look on his face was any indication, and he quickly averted his attention to the mop in his hands.

Still the same old Daryl I had grown to love. I couldn't help but chuckle at his response.

"So, we're pretty much done here? What's next?" I asked.

He started collecting the buckets and mops as he answered. "Told Tyreese I'd help clear out the tombs of geeks."

I gave him a quick nod and followed after him as we exited the gym.

"Do you need a hand?"

I didn't have anything better to do, so I figured I might as well do something useful. Killing walkers was definitely something I wouldn't mind doing.

"It's a'right, we can handle it."

One of my brows raised curiously. "We?"

"Told Carl he could come," Daryl explained with a shrug. "The kids got a good shot and he needs a distraction."

I was sceptical at first, but his explanation made sense. I wish there was something I could do to help Carl out, but I guess going with Daryl would be good for him.

"Be careful then," I told him after a moment. "That laundry room still needs attention so I need you in one piece."

He openly laughed at my comment and set the buckets down by the showers. "Im'a hold you to that."

"I'm counting on it." I gave him a wink and grabbed the buckets. "I'll get these clean, you go ahead."

With a nod, he gave me a quick kiss on the forehead, then walked off down the hall. I was slightly worried what being alone would do to my moral after all that had happened, but I forced myself to keep my chin up and keep working.

Cleaning out the buckets and mops took a bit longer than I had originally thought. Though, by now, we all knew how much of a pain it is to get blood and guts cleaned up. I shook my head at the thought. It's amazing how casual we can think and talk about that now. Almost like talking about the weather.

With a sigh, I finished up and brought the equipment back to the cell block. With any luck, there was something else I could do waiting for me there.

"Riley, how are you feeling?"

I sent a smile towards Hershel and placed the buckets and mops down.

"A little sore, but nothing I can't handle."

I received a nod before his attention went back to the baby in Beth's arms. Earlier in the day, I had found out that it was a little girl, who had been deemed 'Little Asskicker' by Daryl. To be perfectly honest, I loved the name, but it was only a matter of time before Carl and Rick decided on a real name.

"Do you mind if I hold her...?" I asked after a minute.

I was a little hesitant about it at first, but once Beth put her in my arms, a smile worked its way to my lips. Now I could see why Daryl was so happy when he was holding her. It was like everything bad that had happened was washed away, leaving this little bundle of happiness in its place.

Okay, so maybe I was being a tad over emotional about it, but she was the first baby I've ever held- that I can remember anyways. I was two when my sister was born, so that didn't really count. Other than her, this little baby was a first for me and she made me wish that I could have one of my own one day. Seeing Daryl with the baby had made me want a child with him, but then the doubts had hit me. Did he feel the same? Did he even want kids? Were we even able to with all the walkers around?

"You've got a knack for it," Hershel spoke up.

His statement made my smile widen before I gave the baby back to Beth.

"I've never actually been around a baby before," I spoke up. "She's adorable though."

Beth nodded in agreement. "Kind of makes you want one, right?"

"You're much too young for a baby," Hershel cut in with a chuckle.

"Yes, but she isn't."

My cheeks flushed at the suggestion and I held up my hands dismissively. It was kind of a scary topic once you really thought about it. Nine months of pregnancy, then the actual birth, and then you have a little baby to be responsible for. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be truly ready for that.

"Daryl would make a good father, too," she added with a smile. "I can tell he likes children."

A small laugh escaped my lips and I nodded my agreement. "Don't tell him you know though, or else he might go all macho and try to hide it."

That got a laugh from both of them, whether or not they realized that's exactly what would happen.

"Well, I guess I should go do something productive. Is there anything that needs to be done?"

Beth gave a small shrug, but Hershel looked around the room in thought for a moment.

"Maggie and Glenn took off a little while ago, but they wanted those clothes washed."

I chuckled softly at the suggestion, but nodded none the less.

"So she wants me to have a baby and you're training me to be a housewife. I see what's going on here," I teased.

They got a good laugh out of that and I took the time to go and grab the bag of clothing off to the side. It was a zombie apocalypse and here I was, about to do laundry. The thought was a bit more than just funny. Oh well, at least it was a safe job anyways.

With the bag held securely, I picked up some of the other stuff I figured I'd need and headed off down the hall. I was beyond grateful that we had washers and dryers now, instead of having to do it by hand. Sure, technology had spoiled me, but there were better things to be doing than cleaning clothes.

"Okay, now I just have to figure out how to work this thing..."

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't spoiled past the point where I didn't do my own laundry before shit hit the fan, but it's been a long year without a washer or a dryer and I couldn't remember off hand what to do.

"Power first..." I crossed my fingers as I hit the switch, but nothing happened. "Wonderful."

This day was going to suck a bit more than I had originally thought then. Fine, I'd play along.

"If I'd call an IT guy, what's the first thing they'd say..." I scanned the machine for a second, before answering my question in a mocking tone. "Is the machine plugged in?"

Both machines were side by side and squeezed in between two walls. With a groan of agitation, I climbed up onto the washer to try and get a look behind it. Low and behold, the power cable wasn't plugged in all the way. Now came the fun part of moving the damned thing so I could plug it in.

For a good half hour, I was in there, trying to get the damned machine forward so I'd have some room back there. Not only was it a crappy, heavy machine, but the feet were covered in so much crud that the stupid thing was even harder to move.

"Afternoon, Riley," someone greeted. "What are you up to?"

I didn't recognize the voice right away, but when I turned to look, it was Thomas, one of the prisoners we had let in.

"Oh hey. I was just trying to move this thing so I could get it working." I turned back to the machine to keep pulling on it. "It's actually pretty heavy, do you want to give me a hand?"

"Not particularly, no."

A scowl worked its way to my lips at his reply. The situation already had me frustrated so his answer didn't help my mood much.

"Well, if you don't want to help, why are you even here?"

I knew my tone came off as anything less than rude, and I had meant for that, but I hadn't expected him to walk up behind me and pull out a knife.

"To cut off your head."

* * *

**Footnote:**

Soooo, maybe I don't like writing chapters where everyone's depressed, and really, they kind of got right back on track in the show, so I don't feel like it's too far off. It was a fun chapter up until Thomas showed up... what a prick... XD


	13. When You Thought it was Safe

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 13 - When You Thought it was Safe**

* * *

I've dealt with dangerous people that have threatened my life in the past, but all of them wanted something else. Money, sex, alcohol, you name it, I've had to defend myself over. But the situation I had found myself in now was a bit different. Scratch that. It was completely different.

He wanted to kill me.

"Get away from me!"

The second I felt his hand on my forearm, I spun and landed a hit on his jaw, then reached for my pistol. Daryl had made me promise that I'd keep it on me at all times and I was now thankful he did. Although, with Thomas already so close, it didn't do much good.

"Please don't struggle," he spoke up.

As soon as I raised the gun, he caught my hand and slammed it back into my head. I'd seen it done time and time again, but holy shit, getting pistol whipped hurt like a bitch and before I realized what was what, he tossed my gun to the side.

"Fuck you, you psyco!"

He made a _tsking_ sound, before lunging at me and knocking me onto my ass.

"Such language from such a pretty girl."

He moved forward to finish me off, but I quickly raised my legs and kicked him square in the gut. I couldn't help relief from washing over me when I heard him slam into the wall with a thud. He had recovered by the time I got up though, just in time to swing his knife and catch me off guard.

I felt the knife cut across my cheek and by my ear before I shoved him away.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?!"

I got another punch in before I was able to sidestep him and run by. As expected, he was close on my heels, but I knew I just needed to get to the cell block. If I could get there, I could get some help.

"Get back here, you slut!"

I stumbled slightly as I turned a sharp corner, the blood from my cheek dripping down to my neck. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Slut? Really? What the fuck was he getting on about?

All heads turned towards me as I scampered into the room, but I didn't stop.

"Come get your medicine, whore!"

I'm pretty sure that's all the group needed to hear to get the just of what was going on. I had no idea who was in the room at the time, but when Daryl pushed me behind him and tackled Thomas to the ground I was beyond relieved. Then he started wailing on his face, just like he had done with Wayne.

"I told you fuckers to stay away from her! I'll fuckin' kill you!"

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't in a merciful mood, so at no point was I going to step in and stop Daryl. I had done that before with Wayne and I wish I hadn't.

"Riley, are you okay?" Aleah was at my side instantly and was looking me over.

Of course, once she was certain that my cheek was the only injury, she put her focus on that. A cloth was almost instantly pressed to my cheek and I was instructed to hold it there as she turned to Daryl. Tyreese was trying to pull him away from Thomas, but every time he'd get a hold of him, Daryl would just throw him off and continue beating the crap out of Thomas.

"This fucker deserves whatever he got comin' to 'im! He deserves this!"

I noticed that Nate was standing nearby, but unlike Tyreese, he made no effort to help stop Daryl. He even looked angry, almost as if he wanted a piece of Thomas as well.

"Riley, you have to stop him," Aleah spoke up.

I raised a brow at her, sceptical of what she was saying. "He tried to kill me, Aleah. Why would I help him?"

"Because Daryl's going to hurt himself and because this isn't how we deal with things."

A scowl formed on my lips as I thought her words over. She was right, but I didn't like it one bit.

With much reluctance, I moved up to where he was kneeling over Thomas and reached for his shoulder. The second I made contact though, he turned to retaliate, but he caught himself in time.

"Daryl, that's enough."

"The hell that's enough!" He shot back. "He tried to kill you!"

I turned to Aleah for reassurance, but I just received a nod.

"I'm alive though and he's suffered enou-" I paused for a moment and shook my head. "This isn't how we deal with things."

By no means was I ready to say he had suffered enough. No. A psychopath like that was not in prison because of tax fraud. Thomas must have been a murder or something. Correction- is a murderer. We gave them a chance in here and after all that, he pulled this. He deserved a lot more than what Daryl did to him.

After a long minute, Daryl finally stood up and walked with me to the cell where Hershel was waiting. I knew I needed stitches for sure, but from just a glance at Daryl's hand, it looked like he'd need a bit of work done too.

"So, how bad does it look...?" I asked as I sat down.

Hershel turned my head towards him and removed the cloth carefully. The white material was pretty much soaked through with my blood and the cut stung like a bitch.

"Not too bad. Might not even need stitches actually."

A grin spread on my lips, but as soon as it did, I winced.

"Did he get my ear? It felt like he cut it..."

Being careful not to rip off any hair that got in the cut, he pushed my now red hair from my face and looked at me studiously.

"You've lost the lobe, but you'll be able to hear fine."

My face deadpanned instantly. "You're kidding, right? That son of a- I probably look like a freak now... I swear to-"

"-you look fine, Riley. Really," Hershel reassured.

I looked towards Daryl cautiously for his opinion. He stayed quiet as he looked at me, giving Hershel a minute to wet a clean cloth.

"Just clean off all the blood and you'll be just as pretty as always," Daryl commented.

I felt a smile threatening to form, but I did my best to keep from stretching my cheek. I did, however, lean forward and wipe some of the blood off of Daryl's face.

"If we clean your face, you'll be pretty too," I teased.

The unimpressed, yet oddly cute face he gave me was almost worth the pain from my cheek. Hershel even couldn't help but chuckle.

"Just get'cher self patched up, will ya," Daryl muttered.

He wanted to make it sound all macho, but I knew he meant well. No one would beat a man to a pulp for someone they didn't care about. I knew where Daryl's heart was and that was more than enough for me.

For the next while, Hershel took his time to clean the cut and seal it with some steri strips. I was grateful I didn't have to get stitches and I made sure to express my gratitude.

"Your turn, Daryl," I commented.

He didn't look all too thrilled at being volunteered, but his hand was starting to turn different colours. Hershel was quick to notice too.

"I can appreciate a man standing up for his woman, but you really did a number on your hand," Hershel told him as he looked it over. "Can you flex it?"

"Ain't that bad," Daryl argued. He winced slightly as he did it, but he was able to close and open his hand at will. "See? It's fine."

Hershel gave a small nod before starting to clean the blood off, finding various cuts and scrapes along his knuckles. As more and more were uncovered, I couldn't keep the frown off my lips. He had hurt himself because of me. Because I wasn't able to keep myself safe. It was my fault.

"Don'chu dare," Daryl ordered sternly. "This ain't your fault."

I lowered my gaze as he looked over at me, feeling the guilt even if he didn't want me too.

"Bad 'nough I let him cut'cha."

It was quiet after that until Hershel was done and sent us on our way. Tyreese had locked up Thomas in one of the cells and let us know when we passed by. They hadn't decided what to do with the psychopath just yet, so they were going to wait until a decision could be made. Daryl and I had suggested throwing him to the walkers, but it didn't end up going over well with the others. Go figure- they weren't the ones that got attacked.

I had been headed in the direction of our cell, but Daryl suddenly grabbed my arm with his good hand and directed me to another cell.

"I got somethin' to show ya," he told me. "Would'a done it earlier if that son of a bitch didn' attack you."

His jaw locked for a moment in anger, but it was quick to pull into a grin.

"Found 'em in the tombs, hidin' in a closet."

My eyes widened as I turned the corner and saw Carol and Thor in the cell. To say I was shocked and surprised was an understatement. I even forced myself to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. When Daryl had told me they were dead, I figured they saw the bodies, not just assumed they were dead.

"You've got one hell of a dog," Carol spoke up. "Found me and stayed by my side. Must have fought off a dozen walkers."

I sent her a smile and walked over for a hug. She was still weak from being out in the tombs for a few days, but she was alive and in high hopes. Thor too. I thought we had lost the two of them for sure.

Speaking of Thor, my gaze turned towards him next, spotting him sleeping on the bed. He had bandage wrapped around his torso and his front right leg. I could only assume it was from when the ceiling had collapsed. If it had been a bite, I'm sure Carol would have told me by now.

"He's just resting," Carol told me with a smile. "Hershel said its just a fracture. It's a good thing we have a vet with us."

I nodded and sat on the bed beside him. I knew he needed to rest, but I felt the need to brush my fingers through his fur to make sure he was actually here.

"How's your cheek, Riley?"

I lifted my attention towards her and shrugged. "Hershel patched me up good, so it's just a little sore."

She gave me a nod and turned to Daryl. "And your hand?"

"It's fine. Why're you people so finicky?"

We couldn't help but laugh as his attempt to brush off her concern. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, I knew he enjoyed having people that care for him. For me, it was something that got me through day to day life.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Yeah... too early for a foot note . I'll just tell everyone to review 'cause most of you never say anything XD


	14. The Unexpected

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 14 - The Unexpected**

* * *

It's been about a week and a half since the whole Thomas ordeal. Whether fortunate or not, Thomas ended up dying in the cell he was locked up in. No one knew the specifics on what killed him in the end, but it was assumed that the beating Daryl gave him had something to do with it. Good riddance if you ask me.

There was no place in this word or the previous one for men like that. And I'm not just being biased either. Sure, people can be mentally unstable, and you cant really blame someone for that, especially with the world gone to hell, but it takes a different kind of person to trick people into letting their guard down, then stabbing them in the back.

With a sigh, I drew my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. It had been pretty uneventful lately, so I volunteered to take the kids and Thor outside. Beth even decided to bring Little Asskicker out too and was sitting beside me as we watched Carl and Sophia. The two were looking off into the fields of walkers beyond the fence, holding hands now- some sort of agreement they had made earlier. I could catch small bits of their conversation here and there, but it was one specific topic that caught my attention. It was Carl that brought it up.

"Are you still scared of them?"

Sophia looked up at him briefly, then returned her attention back to the field with a nod. "They kill people... Jim, and Amy, and Dale, and... Ben and Billy... But I feel bad for them, too..."

Carl turned to her suddenly. "You feel bad? For the walkers? Why?"

"Because they look sad..." She answered lowly. "Don't they look sad?"

It was quiet for a moment as Carl looked out at them. "Yeah... I guess they do."

I let my eyes close as they fell quiet, the groaning of the dead easily drifting to where we were sitting. It was different at the prison than from before. Back at the farm, you could hear the walkers no matter where you were. Even in the house or in the barn, you could still hear their groaning. At least once you enter the prison it's quiet.

From beside me, I could hear Little Asskicker moving around in her blanket. She was surprisingly quiet for a newborn, especially without her mother, but when she started fusing like she was now, it usually meant she was about to start wailing.

"Time to go in?" I asked as I opened my eyes.

Beth was quick to give me a smile and a nod before gathering her things and getting up. I felt kind of bad for the young girl, having to take care of the newborn and the like, but she seemed to enjoy it. It put a smile on my face that someone in this world could still be so selfless and caring.

"Carl, Sophia, we're going back inside now," I called. "Come on, Thor."

The three of them listened without a complaint and followed Beth and I as we walked back into the prison. It was quiet, but I could faintly smell food cooking in the main area. Good thing, too, because I was starting to get hungry.

"Good timing," Carol greeted with a smile. She opened her mouth to continue, but Little Asskicker started crying. Thankfully we were inside, so she wouldn't draw in more walkers.

"I guess she's hungry," Beth commented as she rocked the baby in her arms. "We still have some formula, right?"

"That we do, I have some ready to go right here." Carol walked over and handed the bottle to Beth, who then put it into Asskicker's mouth. "We're running low though. We'll have to go on a supply run soon."

Rick, who was sitting at the table, gave a nod as he watched his baby girl in Beth's arms. "We'll have Glenn and Maggie go if they don't mind."

It was nice to see Rick back around the group, instead of on his own inside the tombs. After a few days, he finally cleaned himself up and came to hold his baby for the first time. He had looked uneasy at first, but once he had her in his arms, he finally smiled.

"Riley, would you like something to eat?"

Turning my attention over to Carol, I gave her a grateful smile and walked over to where she was. I was really looking forward to some food, but when I got closer to her, my stomach did a flip, causing me to stop suddenly. Well that can't be good...

"Riley? Are you okay?"

My head snapped up at her enquiry and I nodded quickly. I may have been quick to dismiss her concern, but my stomach didn't stop turning. Why was I feeling so nauseous all of a sudden?

"I'm fine, just-" I felt myself wretch for a moment and I covered my mouth. "-just give me a second."

I didn't give her time to respond before I turned heel and walked back out into the hall. Everything felt... Off. Kind of like a stomach flu. Great, just what I needed.

Another heave forced me to lean forward, my hand against the wall for support. I tried calming my breath to relax my body, which seemed to help some, but not by much. It's not like I had a full stomach or anything.

"Errgg, what the hell?" I muttered angrily.

Keeping like that for a few more minutes, I could feel my body starting to relax, but a hand on my back made me jump.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Carol apologized softly. "Are you not feeling well?"

I swallowed heavily and pressed my forehead against the cool wall with a sigh. I could feel her rubbing my back gently, which I was very grateful for.

"I must have eaten something bad earlier or caught something... Hopefully everyone else will be okay," I told her after a minute. "It's weird... Just out of the blue like that."

I hadn't noticed that her hand had stilled against my back until she spoke up. "It was when you were near the food, right?"

Finally lifting my head, I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess so. But what's that got to do with it...?"

"It happened to me before, too," she told me, her eyes watching me hesitantly. "When I was pregnant with Sophia..."

My breath hitched in my throat as the words slipped from her lips. She wasn't honestly suggesting that I was- No, she couldn't be... Right? I mean, me? Pregnant? That couldn't happen... Not in an apocalypse... Not now... Not after Lori died giving birth... Fuck, fuck fuuuuck...

"Riley, it's okay. Relax."

Before I knew what was what, she stepped forward and hugged me gently, her hand starting up its comforting movement. I hadn't realized how fast my breathing was until I could feel hers against my neck.

"It's just a possibility," she clarified. "It could be food poisoning after all."

I nodded slowly, forcing my body to relax once more. "And if I am...? Then what...?"

"Then we deal with that when the time comes."

I nodded slowly, my mind still racing. Being told you could be pregnant felt like a death sentence. And how was Daryl going to react to that? Plus, I wouldn't be able to help out and protect the group. It was just so frustrating and confusing at the same time.

"I'll ask Maggie to check for a pregnancy test when they go on a supply run," Carol spoke up as she stepped back. "That way we can know for sure."

Running my hand through my hair, I sighed and shook my head. "I'll go with them and look for one. I don't- No one else needs to know until it's confirmed..."

"Are you sure? Do you feel well enough to go?"

I nodded this time, even more concerned now that my nausea had disappeared so quickly. "I'll be fine."

She gave me a smile and put her hand on my lower back before leading me back into the cell block. Glenn, Maggie, and Daryl had joined Rick at his table, eating as they conversed between themselves. Now would have been a good time to ask Glenn and Maggie to tag along with them, but when Daryl looked up at me, my body froze. What was now weighing on my shoulders was something that he had every right of knowing, but I don't think I could have mustered up the courage to tell him. And I couldn't just lie to him. He had always been honest with me, so I owed it to him to return the same courtesy.

Again, I felt Carol's gentle touch on my back and I took a deep breath. Play like everything's alright, Riley. If he doesn't ask, then you're not lying. That's what I told myself, but I knew I was just trying to make myself feel better about keeping the secret.

"Riley, are you okay?" Rick asked.

With a slight push from Carol, I made my way over to their table and sat down beside Daryl who raised a brow towards me. The smell of their food was starting to upset my stomach, but not nearly as much as before.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I answered, waving off his concern. "I was wondering if I could tag along with you guys on your next supply run though."

Both Glenn and Maggie looked up at me curiously, which I could only force a smile in return.

"I don't mind third wheeling, promise," I teased, hoping to distract them from what my motive could be.

It seemed to work, because the two of them chuckled. I couldn't say the same for Daryl though.

"Why d'you need to go, too?"

"I just need a reason to stretch my legs and get a break from the prison," I lied. I mentally swore at my split decision, scolding myself for lying to him like that.

I could tell Daryl wasn't quite on board with my plan, but he didn't voice a disagreement, just nodded and went back to eating. I felt a pang of guilt that I had lied to a man that trusted me so willingly, let alone to the man that I loved.

My foot tapped in agitation before I suddenly stood up and pulled Daryl with me.

"The hell you doin'?"

I didn't give him an answer right away, just continued leading him into the other room. I didn't want to tell him the whole truth, but I wasn't going to lie to him either.

"Riley, what's this about?" He tried once I stopped.

"That's not why I wanted to get out of the prison," I admitted abruptly.

He didn't seemed surprised at all. "Figured that much. You gon'na tell me why then?"

My brow furrowed at the question and I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. "I, uh, need to get something."

"An' Glenn or Maggie can't get it for you?"

"It's personal..."

It was quiet for what felt like forever before he spoke up. "Too personal for me too then, huh?"

My throat went dry at his words and I quickly shook my head. "I want to tell you, but if I'm wrong then I don't want to worry you."

He scoffed at my rushed answer and shook his head. "Whatever. Do what you got'ta do."

I knew it was typical for him to put on a facade to seem like he didn't care, but I was worried about how much he did care. I didn't want this to be something that would tear us apart, especially since it was supposed to bring us together.

He turned around without another word and started walking back to the cell block, but my hasty and desperate voice stopped him.

"I love you, Daryl."

He stood there silently for far too long for my nerves, making my heart pound loudly in my chest. He should have said it back by now, right? Or said something at least...

He turned back towards me suddenly and took two steps to close the gap between us before pressing his lips against mine. I couldn't help but melt into it, the message easily conveyed through his actions. The only time he had said it out loud had been back on the farm, when he thought I was going to die, so he must have forced himself to say it. Now that things were calm, he was probably having a difficult time with it.

When we parted, his eyes searched mine, making sure I had understood. I could only nod in response, watching as relief washed over him. How I could have doubted his feelings for me, I'd never understand.

Taking my hand in his, Daryl lead me back into the cell block and sat back down at the table. If I did turn out to be pregnant, I don't think it'd be so bad after all. I mean, sure, it was dangerous as hell, but I had Daryl too. And as cheesy as it sounded, as long as we loved each other, that's what mattered, right?

* * *

**Footnote:**

I honestly have no idea how all you readers are going to react to this one. I mean, it's still up in the air, could go either way, but I felt I needed to address the fact that I never had Daryl ahem, pull out lol I wouldn't think it'd be one of the priorities in an apocalypse... but if I were perfectly honest, it really didn't cross my mind while I was writing the smut XD

Anyway, thoughts would be appreciated. You're opinions could have an impact on what happens to a certain extent, so let me know what you think :)


	15. Into the Fire

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 15 - Into the Fire**

* * *

"I remember seeing a pharmacy along this road," Glenn informed as he pointed down at a map. "If we're lucky, it hasn't been raided of baby formula."

Maggie and I nodded our understanding before gathering our weapons. It was the day after we made the plans to go on a supply run, so we woke up nice and early in order to have as much time as we needed. I was never a morning person, but with all things considered, I'm pretty sure everyone has become one.

"We'll open the gates for you," Rick informed. "Be careful out there."

Glenn and Maggie climbed into the front seats with a 'thanks' and a 'will do' as I hopped into the back seat. It was weird not being the one to drive my own van, but Glenn knew the way and I didn't. It was as simple as that. Before I could close the door though, Daryl popped his head through and pulled me in for a quick kiss. I could hear Glenn and Maggie giggling to themselves in the front, but we didn't pay them too much attention.

"Don't do anythin' stupid, alright?"

I couldn't help the teasing grin from spreading on my lips. "Sir, yes, sir."

Rolling his eyes, he gave me another kiss on the forehead before backing out of the van and moving to the gates. Once we had the okay, Glenn started up the van and we were on our way. The spot he had pointed out on the map wasn't too far away, maybe a half hour or so, so as long as the pharmacy had baby formula, the trip wouldn't take too long. I just had to hope that they had pregnancy tests too.

"Hmm, doesn't look like anyone's been here in a while," Glenn pointed out as he parked. "Looks like we're in luck."

I gave a nod through the rear view mirror, but Maggie scoffed teasingly. "Don't jinx us just yet, Glenn."

"Oh, ha, ha. You better hope they have some formula," he replied, making his way over to the door. There was a board across the entrance, which was quickly removed and tossed to the side.

As soon as the door opened though, a small flock of birds flew out, forcing the three of us to duck in surprise.

"Looks like Glenn was right after all," I commented.

Maggie took a second to straighten herself out, before shooting me a look. "Don't stroke his ego. It's big enough as it is."

I couldn't help but raise a brow, unable to ignore the innuendo. "Bow chicka wow wow?"

Glenn burst out laughing, while Maggie's face just went red.

"Let's just get what we need and get back to the prison, shall we?" She suggested as she walked past the two of us.

Once we settled down, we joined her in the store and followed her to the infant and hygienic aisle. There was quite a few cans of formula along the shelves, but it was the pregnancy tests on the opposite shelf that caught my eye. When Maggie looked up though, I quickly shifted my gaze. How the hell was I supposed to grab one secretly?

"Hey Glenn, do you mind checking for water in the far aisle?" Maggie spoke up.

He nodded without a fuss and took off to complete the task. Well, that was one down...

"You can go ahead and take one," she said once Glenn was out of earshot. "I won't say anything about it."

My body froze like a deer in headlights, but I was quick to recover. "It was that obvious?"

She continued filling a hand basket with cans as she answered. "Not at first, but I had my suspicions. Call it woman's intuition if you want."

I chuckled softly at her reply and hesitantly took one of the small, pink boxes off the shelf. Once I had it stuffed in my pocket, I let out the breath I had been holding in. I wasn't sure whether or not I should be relieved that Maggie knew now. On the one hand, she didn't make a big deal about it, but on the other, it was one more person that knew before Daryl.

"Daryl doesn't know, does he?"

I jumped at her voice. How the hell did she know what I was thinking about?

"No... I wanted to be sure first..." As hard as I tried to hide my uncertainty, I'm sure she picked up on it.

"I think he'll be happy," she added with a smile. "The way he was with Little Asskicker was absolutely adorable."

I couldn't help but smile at her observation. "So I wasn't the only one to notice after all, huh?"

She gave me a cheeky grin as she stood up. "Guilty as charged."

It was quiet as she tossed a few more baby supplies into a basket and handed it to me. "Thanks for this, Maggie. Really."

"Dot mention it." The smile she gave me slowly turned into a smirk as something caught her eye on the shelf behind me. "And plus, now I can grab this without it being awkward."

I followed her with my eyes as she reached past me and picked up a box of condoms.

"Wish I thought of that earlier," I mumbled to myself.

I heard her laugh as she put the box in a pocket and picked up the other basket. "It's not like our supplies are overflowing with them," she joked.

"True, but at least I wouldn't need this." I gestured towards my slightly bulged pocket with distaste. "Oh, well. What's done is done, I guess."

She gave me a sympathetic smile as we walked back to the front of the store. It was nice being able to talk to Maggie without a worry, and having someone know took some of the weight off my shoulders. Now I just had to use the damn thing and see what I had in store.

When we reached my van, Maggie and I put the baskets down by the side door and sat down on the hood. It was a nice day outside and it felt good to take a second to appreciate it.

"Glenn, grab that duck," Maggie called.

A questioning look greeted her when he walked trough the front door. "A duck...?"

"Yes, that duck," she clarified, pointing into the store. "For the baby."

He finally clued in and took a few steps back into the store to pick up a stuffed, yellow duck. When he finally made it outside, he had a large bottle of water in one hand and the duck in the other.

"Think she'll like it?" Glenn asked in amusement.

I nodded my answer and took it from him to get a better look. "I used to have one like this. Loved it as a kid. Then Thor found it when he was a puppy and that was the last I saw of it."

The two of them chuckled at the story.

"So what you're saying," Glenn started. "Is that we should give it to Thor instead?"

My eyes narrowed playfully on him as Maggie wrapped her arm around me in mock comfort. "And give poor Riley flashbacks of her precious duck?"

We all burst out into laughter. It's been far too long since we'd been able to joke around like this out in the open. It always felt like as soon as we let our guards down outside, a walker would seek up on us, but right now, there wasn't a walker in sight.

"I guess it's about time we head back," Maggie commented once we had stopped laughing.

Glenn and I shared a nod as I slid off the hood of my van, but a twig snapping caught our attention.

"And where is it, you folks call home?"

Within a moment, the three of us drew our weapons and aimed at the man approaching from behind a car. The bridge of his nose was bleeding and he had a pistol pointed at us, but what caught my attention was the metal casing on his right arm and the long blade sticking out of it.

"Well, I'll be damned," he spoke up when he got a good look at us. He didn't speak another word as he lowered his pistol to the ground and raised his hands... Err.. Hand and... Blade? I blinked a few times in confusion before hearing Glenn mutter a name.

Merle.

A smile formed on his lips and he gestured to his right arm. "Oh, this? Cool, a'int it? Put it together myself."

I watched curiously as Glenn kept his gun up, his arms tense. I had heard the story of Merle from both sides, but I couldn't understand why Glenn was so tense. I mean, sure, he was dangerous, but he didn't have his gun and there was three of us.

"Is my brother alive?" He asked. "Is Daryl around?"

Glenn gave him a nod, putting a smile on the man's face. "Can you take me back to him?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Maggie turn to Glenn so she could follow his lead, but he was unmoving. "We'll go get him and bring him here."

That instantly wiped the smile off Merle's face. "Oh come on, Glenn. I just wan'na see my baby brother-"

"We'll bring him here," Glenn cut in sternly. "If you want to see him, we'll bring him."

I could feel the air thicken with tension and I could feel a confrontation ready to happen. I didn't know how to stop it though, and before I knew it, Merle drew a pistol from behind him and took a shoot at us. The three of us scattered on impulse, but when it went quiet again, I heard Merle's voice.

"Get in the van."

When I circled around, he had Maggie with a gun to her head and blade to her throat. I think that was the fastest I've lowered a weapon.

"Merle, just-

"Get in the van, Glenn, or I slit her throat."

Glenn raised his hands defensively. "Alright, but we're not going back to our camp."

A smirk worked its way onto Merle's lips as Glenn and I got into the vehicle. "No problem, Glenn."

* * *

I had no idea how long we had been in the car or where we now were, but I had a bad feeling about this whole situation. Once we were in the van, Merle had us all blindfolded and he kept Maggie as leverage. Then he had started driving. I tried to keep track of how many turns he had made, but after ten or so, I couldn't keep up. It was as if he was making turns just so we couldn't remember them all.

Now I found myself sitting in a chair, both hands tied behind my back, and a piece of cloth tied tightly over my eyes. Some point along the way, I had been frisked down and robbed of all my weapons, belongings, and jackets. I had tried spitting at the one who took my stuff, but with a blindfold I had no idea where they were. A groan of agitation did reward me for my efforts, but a second later, I was roughly grabbed by the arm and tied down.

Once I heard the door close, I started pulling on the bindings on my wrists, but I could tell they were plastic ties and that I wasn't getting out of then anytime soon. "Glenn? Maggie? You there...?"

I waited a minute silently, but neither of them responded. All I could assume from that was that this place was big enough that they could afford to put us in three separate rooms. That could mean there was a big group of people here... But I couldn't know for sure.

The silence of the room continued for long after that. The only thing I could hear was my breath as I continued tugging on my restraints. And then I heard a thud, then another, and another. Then the next one was followed by a groan of pain. Glenn...

* * *

**Footnote:**

Oh Merle, that's not very nice. Hopefully I haven't bore everyone with the bits straight from the show lol I tried to put a little spin on things for this whole Woodbury shindig, but I didn't want to stray too far for these parts.

Welp, until Monday my wonderful readers~


	16. No Getting Out

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 16 - No Getting Out**

* * *

For what felt like hours, I couldn't do anything as Glenn was 'interrogated' by Merle. I could only image the sate Glenn was in now and I could only hoped that it would stop soon. I had tried non stop to get free of the cable ties, but all I managed to do was cut open my wrists. The stupid cloth was still over my eyes and my wrists were raw and bleeding, but I couldn't give up. I knew the only way we were getting out of here is if we managed to do it on own own.

I let out a scream of frustration and pulled hard on the cuffs. I could feel it dig deeper into my skin, but it was no use. When I was out of strength, I let up and leaned forward in the seat, my chest heaving.

Who was I fooling? We weren't getting out of this. Rick and the others had no idea we'd been kidnapped let alone _where _we were. We were on our own and we were going to be tortured and killed.

I let out another aggravated scream, stopping suddenly as the door opened. I guess it was my turn now... Yet the person that walked into the room didn't say a word. I heard their footsteps though, casually walking around me before stopping behind my chair. The last thing I had expected was for them to untie my blindfold and cut the restraints on my wrists.

"You did quite a number on your wrists," the man finally spoke up. "I'll have a doctor drop by to patch you up."

My brows instantly furrowed in confusion as I brought my hands onto my lap to survey the damage. Why the hell was he going to bring a doctor in here for me?

"If I had known two of you were women, I would have had my men treat you better," he continued. "My apologies."

He took a seat across from me, on the other side of a wooden table. The room we were in was small, ten by ten if I were to guess, and other than our two chairs and the table, it was empty.

"So, what's your name?" He asked.

My eyes narrowed on him. I had no intention of playing his stupid game and he was an idiot if he thought I was buying his 'Mr. Nice' routine.

"Quiet one, are we?" He continued. When I didn't answer once more, he brought something out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table. The small pink box came to a stop in front of me.

"I'm guessing someone back at your camp is waiting for you," he commented. "If you tell us where that is, we can take you and your friends back."

I couldn't hold back the laughter that followed his offer. "You've got to be kidding. How stupid do you think I am, asshole?"

His calm, friendly facade faded slightly, being replaced by a look in his eye that spelled trouble. He wanted to be in control and there's always one thing that comes to a man's mind to get it. "Stand up, would you?"

My brow raised sceptically in his direction, but I didn't move an inch off the chair. Of course, he didn't take well to my stubbornness and in response, he put his pistol on the table. I knew a threat when I saw one, but like I said, I wasn't in the mood to play along. It's not like a bullet was worse than what he was planning.

"Stand up."

Once again, I didn't move. Instead, I set my glare on him. "I know what you think is going to happen here, but I can assure you, it won't."

An amused smile worked its way onto his lips and he leaned back in his chair. "And why do you think that?"

"Because I've dealt with guys like you. Guys who think that just because they can over power a woman and take advantage of her means that they can control them. That they can get whatever they want from them." I could feel his eyes narrow on me as I spoke, but I kept my hard gaze on him, not intending to back down. "Sure, you can make them feel helpless at first, but that just sets a fire in them, and that fire doesn't go out. Even when they _kill _the bastard that did it."

Wayne's face flashed in my mind, a sneer working its way to my lips at the memory. I wasn't going to let that happen again.

"You seem to be someone who always gets what he wants, so you can have your _three seconds_ of 'dominance', but I'm not telling you jack shit. "

My glare stayed glued to his, watching as emotions flashed through them. The amusement he had displayed before had disappeared and as hard as he tried to hide it, I knew losing his sense of power was eating at him.

As much as I wanted to look strong, I couldn't help from flinching as he stood up suddenly and marched over to me. I didn't have time to move away before he grabbed a hold of my hair and I found myself face first on the table.

"Where's your camp?"

His tone was surprisingly even and when I didn't answer, I felt him press himself against me. After all that and he thought it was going to work?

"You must be pretty dense if you think I'm going to talk."

I felt a hand slip under the back of my shirt as he ground his hips into me. I didn't flinch this time, or react in the slightest bit. He could do whatever the fuck he pleased, but I was _not _going to give him the satisfaction he was looking for.

His hand roamed for a minute or so before he finally stepped away and made his way to the door. "I'm sure your other friend won't be quite so stubborn."

My jaw clenched at the thought of what he would do to Maggie. I couldn't imagine she'd be able to take much before breaking. I wasn't worried so much about her telling them where the prison was, but more about what he could do to her emotionally.

"You fucking bastard! I'll kill you!"

The door slammed before I could finish, but I knew that fucked up smirk he wore would be back on his face. That sick bastard... I was going to kill him the first chance I had.

* * *

They were gone for too long. Daryl had tried ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut, but there was no way they should have taken this long.

"'Ey, Rick. Come in here for a sec'."

The southerner had resorted to pacing about, but when he saw them bring a strange woman into the prison, he just about had enough of waiting around. He didn't care about the woman Rick had brought in, so he didn't care to pay attention as Rick spoke to her before locking the main cell gate.

"What do you need, Daryl?"

The man in question didn't wait a second to reply, his crossbow already slung over his shoulder. "They've been gone too long. They should'a been back by now."

Rick had been expecting Daryl to question the woman's presence, but the whereabouts of his girlfriend was Rick's second guess. Raising a hand to calm him, he formed a reply in his head. "Glenn mentioned a few other stores that they wanted to check out."

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "It's been _too long_, Rick."

If he were to guess, the sun would be going down in a few hours and they had left early in the morning. There was plenty of time for them to hit five different places and be back for dinner. Rick didn't seem to be on the same page though.

"Let's give them an hour, then we can go look for them," Rick suggested.

Gritting his teeth, Daryl gave a quick nod and went to sit at one of the tables where Aleah and Carol were. Almost instantly, his leg was bouncing in agitation, a scowl on his face. Both women could have easily guess what was bugging him, but neither chose to speak up. Sometimes it was better to leave Daryl be, and this seemed like one of those times.

There was a tense silence over the group, but as soon as the gate opened again, Daryl shot up and followed after Rick.

"Why did you have baby formula with you?" Rick asked the woman.

She was seated on a table, watching silently as Daryl circled around her.

"I asked you a question," Rick shot at her.

When she didn't speak once more, Daryl raised his crossbow and nudged it towards her. "You best be speakin'."

Moving her glare from Daryl to Rick, she finally spoke up. "An Asian boy and two girls dropped them."

As soon as the words left her lips, Daryl lunged forward threateningly and gripped the wound on her thigh. "Where are they?!"

She made a move to retaliate, but Rick was fast enough to pull him back.

"Don't you ever touch me," she snarled.

Hearing the commotion, Nathan approached cautiously and put himself between Daryl and the woman. Her whole story sounded suspicious, plus the fact that she still hasn't told anyone her name, but if she knew something about the others that they didn't, they had to hear her out. That meant not pissing her off.

"Sorry, that won't happen again," Rick clarified, hoping the woman wouldn't shut down on them. "Please, what happened?"

Just like a predator watching its prey, she scanned the group with her eyes. She was quiet again, but before Rick made a move to open his mouth, she chose to speak.

"They were kidnapped," she finally said. "A guy from Woodbury."

Nathan felt his fists clench at the name and Rick was quick to take notice of it.

"What do they want with them?" Rick questioned. He had directed his question towards the woman, but it was Nathan who answered.

"He'll get them to tell him where our camp is. Then he'll send a _scavenge _team to raid us."

The woman's eyes shot to Nathan almost instantly. "How do you know that?"

"Because I used to live there."

The look she was giving him turned into a glare, so he raised his hands defensively. "_Used _to. I left them about eight months ago. I don't agree with their methods just as much as you do."

As they were talking, Daryl had started up his pacing once more. She was kidnapped. His Riley was kidnapped by some asshole and they were just sitting here. He had to leave her once and he'd be damned if they made him do it again.

"The fuck are we waitin' 'round for?" He growled. "Let's get them back."

Rick and Nathan shared a nod at the statement, the latter leaving to start preparing.

"I can help you," the woman piped up. "Their walls are heavily guarded, but I know a way in."

Rick didn't trust her, but she was offering her help to get back their people. It would be stupid to deny her.

"We'll have someone look at that wound, then we're going. If you can't keep up, you'll be left behind."

She gave him a firm nod, binding the agreement. Now came the hard part.

* * *

**Footnote:**

The Governor's kind of weird to write at this stage of the show. He's still trying to be Mr. Nice Guy, diplomatic, but then when that doesn't work, he resorts to a dictator of sorts that we see towards the end of the show. At least that's how I see that scene playing out.

It wasn't too Mary Sue to have Riley put up a tough front was it? I mean, she learned from last time that they eat up fear and that's all the Governor seemed to be trying to do, with Maggie too.

Anyways, glad it's Monday~ Leave a review, I love hearing from everyone :D


	17. Just in Time

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 17 - Just in Time**

* * *

I knew it was only a matter of time before one of use would give them what they wanted or the men would give up. Either way, we were going to end up dead if we didn't find a way out.

I waited a few minutes after the door had closed, making sure he wasn't going to come back in. My hands were both free, so now was the perfect time to plan an escape. Pocketing the box from the table, I looked around the room thoughtfully. What would McGuiver do...?

My eyes stopped on the chair I had been tied to, then shifted to one of the wooden legs. It'd make a pretty good club if I could get it off the seat. Moving the chair onto its side, I lifted a foot and stomped down on one of the legs. Luckily, it snapped easily at the base. Weapon: check. Now an escape.

I did a thorough search of the room, checking each wall for any secret entrance or even something I could break through. Unfortunately, the room was pretty secure and I had to admit to myself that the main door was the only way I was getting out. The next best thing to do would be to wait for someone to walk in, then attack them.

"Alright, Riley... You can do this," I mumbled to myself.

Walking to the door, I could pick up a few voices from outside. They were muffled, but they were close by, so I put my back to the wall beside the door and gripped the chair leg tightly. It was going to suck having the makeshift weapon as my only defense, but it was better than nothing.

The voices stopped after a few minutes, soon being replaced by the sound of footsteps. Here we go...

As soon as the door swung open and a man walked into the room, I swung as hard as I could, hearing the telltale crack of a bone before he fell to the floor. I knew I only had moments to do anything, so without hesitance, I grabbed the rifle off of the downed man and cautiously stepped out of the room. I wasn't exactly home free just yet, so I kept my body on high alert.

If I could, I'd try and find Glenn and Maggie to free them, but if I couldn't, I'd have to leave and find my way back to the prison. Now, before I start getting judged, you have to consider the situation. If I go in only willing to leave with the two of them, then that leaves a good chance for all three of us to die- it's happened time and time again in countless horror movies. On the other hand, if I escape, then I could bring the rest of the group back and save them.

That was my plan anyways, but when I heard the cocking of a gun, I froze.

"And where do you think you're going?"

As fast as my body would allow, I spun to face Merle, pointing the assault rifle at him.

"You don't have to do this, Merle... Daryl wouldn't want th-"

"And what would my brother want, hmm?" Merle questioned in amusement. "He wouldn' want you to shoot me, now would he?"

My resolve faltered at his statement. Daryl spoke of Merle with admiration and the last thing I wanted to do was take away his brother. I needed to get out of here though... Daryl wouldn't want me dead either.

"You want to see him, right?" I asked. "If we're dead that pretty much stops you from doing that. We can go right now and get him."

The way he looked at me told me that he wasn't falling for the bait even in the slightest.

"You know I can't do that," he countered, a small smirk growing on his lips. "All you have to do is tell us where your prison is."

My breath hitched at his statement. They knew we were at the prison... Meaning they no longer had any use for us. I was as good as dead unless I found a way out of this. My body was officially in panic mode and as fast as I could, I took off around the closest corner. Without a doubt, I knew Merle would shoot to kill me, but I couldn't do the same to him. He was Daryl's brother, and even though he was the asshole that had kidnapped us, I couldn't take Daryl's last blood relative away from him. That only left me with one option and as it turned out, it was just as bad as the first.

The second I was in the next room, I was instantly surrounded by a bunch of men with guns. There were two people kneeling in the center of the room with bags over their heads and I immediately knew we were shit out of luck.

"Merle, you let her get a gun?" One of the men asked.

I spun around, knowing Merle would have caught up by now, but as soon as I did, I felt the butt of his pistol against my forehead. It wasn't enough to knock me out, but I felt myself fall to the ground, my vision swimming.

"She ain't gonna shoot me," I heard Merle taunt. "Somethin' 'bout her knowin' my brother. Ain't that right, girlie?"

He kicked the gun from my reach and crouched down by my head, but my vision went black for a moment. When it cleared again, I was being dragged to my knees.

"Don't do this to him... Please..." My voice sounded distant and weak, but I couldn't give up. I didn't want Daryl's brother to be the one to kill me- I could only imagine what that would do to him- and more than that, I didn't want to die.

In the next instant, there was a loud _bang _and the room lit up in a flash of blinding light. I could feel my eyes sting, burning as if I had just looked directly at the sun. Not only that, but my ears were ringing too and I briefly wondered if I had been shot... Was this what it felt like to die?

I had humored the thought until an arm suddenly wrapped around my waist and I was lifted up onto something.

So maybe I wasn't dead, but it still felt like it.

Even when I was finally put down, I could only make out blobs of colour and I could hardly make out the noises around me. There was someone calling my name though- after a minute I figured that out. Then, when my vision finally cleared, I opened my eyes to find Daryl crouched down in front of me. His face held all sorts of anxiety and stress, and I wanted nothing more than to ease it.

"Was it that woman driving the van again?" I asked weakly.

He rewarded my efforts with a small smile and a nod. "Damn woman doesn't know how to stay out'ta trouble."

"I'm sure she didn't mean to," I mumbled in response.

An eye roll was the only reply I got before he turned his attention to something behind me. That's when I finally clued into Rick's voice along with Glenn's and Nate's.

"Merle's here," Glenn spoke up. My brows turned upwards when I saw the state he was in. His lip was cut open, an eye was almost swollen shut, and judging by the way he was leaning against a table, he was in pain from just standing. "He's the one who brought us here."

Daryl's eyes widened at the news and he turned to Rick. "If my brother's here, I got'ta go get 'im."

I could understand why he was so anxious, but going to find Merle and bring him with us wasn't something I hoped we did just yet. I'd support him in reuniting with Merle another time, but right now, we just needed to get out of here.

"Not now Daryl. We need you," Rick explained.

"But he's my brother, I can't just-"

I put a hand firmly on his arm to catch his attention, which worked instantly. "We can't now, Daryl. He's too dangerous."

I was expecting a bit of a disagreement, but when his eyes narrowed on me, I flinched back slightly. That wasn't his normal angry glare, it was showing more than just anger. He was showing hurt.

"What, you're scared of 'im too now?"

I returned his glare with one of my own. "There's 'scared' and then there's 'caution'," I told him evenly. When it didn't change his look, I pointed to the blood dripping from my forehead. "This was him."

"Ain't his fault," he defended quickly. "He doesn' know you're with me."

The fact that he was defending his brother so intently for something he did to me was tugging on my last nerve. I was already in a pissed off mood considering everything that had happened, and my patience was wearing thin.

"He knew who I was," Glenn commented spitefully. "But that didn't stop him from throwing a walker at me."

I could tell Daryl was starting to back down and when Rick asked if he was with us, he finally nodded.

"Alright, we need to head back that way," Nate informed. He had been keeping watch by the door silently with Oscar. "There will be armed men around, so stay alert."

We all gave a nod and prepped ourselves to go. Once everyone had a gun, minus Glenn, Daryl tossed a smoke grenade out the door. It made sense now that they had used a flash bomb earlier and I could only guess that they found them at the prison.

When the smoke started to spread, Rick and Nate took the lead with myself and Daryl falling behind Maggie, Glenn, and Oscar. It was quiet at first, but we started hearing shouts and then the bullets came flying. As fast as we could, we tucked into a building doorway, feeling the debris from the stray bullets. Rick started returning fire to buy us some time, but we had to act fast.

"I'll distract them," Daryl informed. His statement made my stomach drop. "On our last grenade here."

Rick looked reluctant about his plan, but he nodded none the less. Daryl now had the _okay _to throw the grenade, but before he could, I pulled him in for a kiss and told him to be safe.

There wasn't much else I could do and before I knew it, the grenade was thrown and smoke covered the area. It didn't take more than a second for Daryl to step out and start returning fire while the rest of us made a beeline for the trucks Rick had pointed out. Maggie was the first onto the truck with help from Oscar, then the two of them helped Glenn up as well. While they continued down to the other side or the barricade, Oscar gave me a boost up.

I was half way over when he suddenly jerked and dropped me. I was quick enough to catch my foot on a groove and pull myself up, but when I turned around, Oscar was on the floor with multiple bullet holes in his chest. If I were to guess, it was by a shotgun and to be able to have that accuracy, the shooter had to have been close.

"Rick, we have to go!" I called eagerly.

The sheriff took a shot at someone with his Python, then turned to run in my direction. He paused to look down at Oscar's lifeless body before climbing up to where I was, his eyes hard, yet pained.

"Where are Daryl and Nate?" I asked.

He took a moment to look behind him, but the smoke was too thick to see through. "They were just behind me..."

I could hear my heart thumping in my chest at the implication. I couldn't lose them too. They had to have been okay. My mind was going a mile a minute and it wasn't until a bullet ricocheted off of the truck that we finally dropped down bedside Maggie and Glenn. They must have noticed my panicked look because they didn't ask where the others were.

"Daryl and Nathan are still back there so we're going to-" Rick's plan was cut short as a piece of the barricade shifted to the side and an African American woman stepped out of the pathway.

Her appearance startled me, but it was Rick that pulled a gun on her. He looked more angry than startled. "Where were you?"

There was blood staining her clothing and skin, yet she didn't say a word. It only seemed to feed Rick's anger. "You just left. I should kill you on the spot."

The woman's eyes widened slightly. "I- I brought you here... I can still help you back..."

By the sounds of it, she had been working with Rick to rescue us and she was the one who knew where we were. I owed her my life in that case and I would try to return the favour.

"Rick, we're alive because of her," I pointed out. "Let's just go find Daryl and Nate."

After a minute, he finally lowered his pistol. "Take Glenn back to the car. Riley, Maggie, you're with me. Let's get them back."

* * *

**Footnote:**

Where'd everyone go yesterday? How dare you have lives :P

All kidding aside, sorry these chapters have been pretty close to the show D: It'll get better, promise~


	18. All Down Hill

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 18 - All Down Hill**

* * *

Pain raked through his body with each punch and with each kick. He could feel every inch of his body burn from impact, feel his lip split, his nose break, and feel his ribs crack under the pressure. He was a bleeding mess when he fell to the dirt, yet the crowd around him kept cheering. They wanted him to be in pain- they wanted him _dead_.

"We thought him dead, but he betrayed us and joined forces with the terrorists," a man shouted. The crowd riled at his voice. "We treated him as a hero and this is how he repays us!"

Nathan was dragged back onto his feet, sand sticking to his face and mixing with his blood. Even with his lips throbbing, he spit down at the man's feet in front of him. He had a white patch over his right eye, but the other one held the insanity that Nathan knew the man was capable of. The Governor was now unhinged and by the sounds of it, Rick's group now had a target in their backs.

"Martinez, deal with him."

Nathan didn't have a moment before a bat was swung into his stomach. His legs buckled from under him and he grunted in pain, but the men at his sides held him up. More hits followed and it wasn't long before darkness consumed him and everything went silent.

Daryl could only watch as they tossed Nathan's bloodied and bruised body to the ground. He wasn't moving and Daryl had to wonder of they had killed him. He hadn't liked the guy, but he would have never wanted him dead.

"He isn't the only one who has betrayed us," the man continued. "Another of our own has. Merle!"

Daryl's eyes shot back over to his brother, who was now being stripped of his weapons. They shared a look, knowing they were both in deep shit.

"His own brother is one of the terrorists!" The crowd started up their shouting again, demanding the brothers' deaths. "A fight to the death! Winner goes free!"

A deep dread spread through Daryl as the crowd cheered for them to fight. A voice stood out from the rest though, begging the Governor not to do this, but it wasn't until she said he was her friend that he clued in to who it was. Putting up a fuss behind the sadistic man was Andrea- the same Andrea they had all thought died.

"You can't do this! He's my friend!"

"It's not my choice anymore," he told her evenly. To Daryl's dismay, the man turned his attention to him, then Merle. "I asked you where your loyalties lie and you said here. Prove it. Fight!"

The crowd continued their cheering, but Daryl had no intention of fighting Merle. That was, until Merle threw a fist across Daryl's face. Feeling his lip swell, Daryl shot his brother a look. "The hell are you doin'?"

This time, a foot was brought to his chest and Daryl stumbled, falling onto his back with Merle over top of him.

"They ain't goin' to let us live," Daryl snapped. "Even if one of us wins."

Merle looked down at his brother before grabbing his collar roughly. "I know, baby brother. Just follow my lead."

Daryl's eyes narrowed as another punch was thrown at his face and Merle's weight was lifted of him. The crowd was still riled and excited, so Merle played off of that, pumping his fist in the air and shouting to the crowd. He seemed to have an idea on what to do, but Daryl had his doubts. He was convinced he was going to die there until a few shots went off, taking down a few of the Governor's men. Maybe he'd have a chance after all.

* * *

Once Maggie landed her shots, Rick tossed a smoke grenade into the crowd, the screams and panic increasing as the people started scattering. That's when I knew I had to move. The second the smoke covered the area, I dashed forward, straight toward the bloodied and bruised figure in the dirt. Rick had called out to me, telling me to go back, but his voice fell on deaf ears. Daryl could walk on his own, hell, he could still fight, so I wasn't too worried about him at the moment, but Nate was out cold on the ground. _He _needed help.

"Come on, big guy. Work with me here," I grunted as I tried pulling him to his feet.

I knew he wasn't in any position to be walking, seeing as he was unconscious and all, and I was starting to doubt my chances of getting him out of here. I had his arm slung over my shoulders as I struggled forward, but he must have been two hundred pounds of dead weight. It wouldn't be long for me to get caught again with all the commotion around; gunfire, screaming, scared civilians running around. I thought I was going to get trampled if anything.

"Let's go!"

I turned at the sound of Daryl's voice as he plucked his crossbow from one of the men's hands and ran towards me. Not even a moment after he was at my side, he had Nate's other arm over his shoulder, supporting most of his weight. It didn't take long after that that we were back with Rick and Maggie.

No one said anything when we noticed Merle running along side us though, but by the looks of it, Rick wasn't all too pleased about it. From what we could tell, Merle was no longer welcome in Woodbury, so that would mean Daryl would want him around. That probably wouldn't sit right with the others though. Especially Glenn.

"They're all at the arena," Merle started. "We can get out this way."

He moved towards a wall behind some buses, but Rick wasn't quite ready to follow. Not many of us were. "You're not going anywhere with us."

"You really want to do this now?" Merle shot back, not even stopping to look at us.

I knew Rick had a point about not letting Merle tag along, but at the same time we had bigger things to worry about. The town of people wanting to kill us was one thing, but the walkers on the other side of the gate was another. We didn't really have a choice but to cooperate with Merle.

"Let's get a move on, people!"

Sharing a look with Rick, we followed after him. Getting away from Woodbury was the priority right now. The elephant in the room could come later.

* * *

With Nate needing medical treatment and the forest scattered with walkers, we didn't have much choice but to keep walking until we reached the car. It took us up until daybreak for us to reach where Glenn was, but only a few seconds after that for all hell to break loose.

"What the hell is he doing here?!"

Glenn had instantly pulled a gun on Merle and from the corner of my eye, I saw Michonne draw her sword as well. Of course, Rick and Daryl stepped between them, but that didn't stop the yelling that continued. I wasn't exactly in a position to partake in the argument since I was now supporting Nate on my own. I was starting to lose my grip on him though, so with whatever strength I had left, I brought him over to the car and lay him down across the backseats.

The yelling continued on behind me as I pulled out a health kit and started cleaning Nate's injuries. By the sounds of it, Glenn and Michonne wanted Merle dead, while Daryl and Rick were trying to get them to back down. They weren't defending him or anything, and when Merle would pipe up with a smart ass remark, even Daryl would tell him to shut up.

For the most part, I was keeping my focus on Nate, but when Andrea's name was brought up, my attention was claimed. From what I could hear, I learned that; one, Andrea was alive; and two, Michonne hadn't let us know that she was traveling with her. Though, it's debatable whether or not she was aware we were Andrea's old group.

That's about when Merle started up his comments again. Now _I _was getting irritated. Merle was the reason we were in this mess in the first place, so that was strike one. Beating up Glenn was strike two, and now he was intentionally being a shit disturber and putting a riff in the group. That was strike three and before I knew it, I found myself marching over to them, a pistol in my hand. None of them seemed to notice me until I was a foot in front of Merle. By that time I lifted the pistol and knocked him over the head just as he had done to me. The only difference was that this time, Merle fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Shut up, would you?" I muttered, marching back to the car.

I didn't care for their reactions, instead I just went back to check on Nate. He had a few broken bones, probably more than I had found, and he'd definitely need Hershel to patch him up, but for now I did the best I could. At least we could cross off an infection from his staggering list of injuries.

"How's he doin'?"

My body had been tense, but the second I heard Daryl's voice, I visibly relaxed.

"He's going to need a lot of work," but I think he'll be fine," I answered. Stepping out of the car, my eyes caught his and then the cut on his cheek. "Does that hurt?"

I wasn't expecting more than a shrug as a response, so when that's what I received, I was already dabbing an alcohol swab on the cut. He didn't protest or try to stop me, so I just continued and put a small band aid over it once I was done.

"You'd let Merle come with us, right?" He asked hesitantly. "Help convince Rick to let'im stay?"

Pausing what I was doing, I looked up at him uncertainly. I didn't know how to answer that... For Daryl, I'd do anything, but from what I've seen of his brother...

"Daryl, I don't know if-" I cut my sentence short, watching his eyes narrow on me. "Please, Daryl... Look at it from our point of v-"

That time I stopped because I had heard this before when Andrea and Rick had warned me about Daryl. I felt my argument falter at the thought, but my resolve was quickly returned. I'd seen what kind of man Merle is, just like I had seen what kind of man Daryl is. Merle's a loose canon and in all honestly, he _is _dangerous. I couldn't agree with letting him into the prison that easily.

"It won't work," Rick spoke up as he approached.

Daryl turned to look at him. "It's got'ta. The Governor's probably on his way to the prison right now. Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle."

Glenn and Maggie were quick to shoot him down, but he kept going. "Merle's blood."

"No," Glenn cut in, "he's your blood. My blood, my family, is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison."

"And you're part of that family," Rick added. "He's not."

I watched as Daryl processed what they were telling him, but he didn't seem to be accepting it. I could understand where he was coming from, but what he said next made my heart stop.

"Fine, we'll fend for ourselves then."

Vaguely, I saw Rick turn to me while Glenn and Maggie tried to convince Daryl against his decision. He couldn't just up and leave like that... After everything that'd happened... Was it really that easy?

"Riley, you comin'?"

I forced my eyes out of their blank stare and looked up at him. No words left my lips though. What was I supposed to say? I was either going to lose Daryl or the rest of my family. I couldn't make a decision like that...

"Whatever," he mumbled. "It was always Merle and I before this."

My body felt frozen to the spot as he turned to retrieve his stuff from the trunk. This wasn't happening... This couldn't be real. My mind was racing, but my body refused to move.

When I finally snapped out of it, he was already walking away, his bag over his shoulder.

"D-Daryl, wait!"

He stopped walking at my call, but he didn't turn until I ran to meet him. I still didn't know what to say though, yet my lips moved on their own. "Please don't leave me..."

His eyes softened as he looked down at me, his hand moving to rest on my cheek. "Then come with me. You know I'll take good care of you."

I bit my lip, trying to keep myself from agreeing too hastily. If I leave with him, I'll lose everyone else. "I know you would... But you can't ask me to leave them... It's not fair... Just stay, Daryl. Please..."

I've always told myself that when the time came when someone forces me into the 'it's me or them' choice, I'd choose opposite of whoever asked me. I had carved that decision into my head for years, but now that the choice was thrown at me, I couldn't do it. I couldn't willingly leave Daryl.

"I ain't leavin' him again," Daryl stated. His hand dropped from my cheek and his eyes hardened. "If you don't want to come, then that's your deci-"

His sentence was cut short by a sharp slapping sound. "My decision? _You're _the one choosing to leave us!" How dare he pin this on me. "Merle _kidnapped _us and tortured Glenn, Daryl. You expect me to leave my family- _our _family, for him?"

My palm stung and I could see the red mark spreading on his cheek. I didn't want it to come to this, but I was beyond frustrated. This wasn't my choice. It wasn't my fault he was leaving us. It was _his _choice and _his _brother.

Without another word, he turned heel and kept walking. That's about when realization hit me and I felt my legs buckle from under me. Just like that he was gone. Just like that I had lost the one thing keeping me going.

Did I really just let that happen...?

* * *

**Footnote:**

I had debated on having this ending for a long while... It sucks for both of them and neither would make that decision with a level head. I feel like after what's happened to both of them they'd be tired and angry and this is what would happen, so I went with it.

Let's just say it's not the most enjoyable part of the story to write lol or probably to read for everyone else


	19. When All is Said and Done

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 19 - When All is Said and Done**

* * *

Everything felt like a dream, like I was going to wake up in Daryl's arms and everything was going to be okay; Glenn and Nate wouldn't be all bloodied and bruised, Oscar would still be alive, and everyone would be happy... Pfft, as if that could happen.

The world was unforgiving and cruel, and you definitely weren't allowed do overs no matter how hard you begged for one. Some would deny the cruel bit, but my aching heart said otherwise. I had denied the whole thing at first, telling myself that it wasn't possible, but it wasn't long before I accepted it as reality. When Carol had started crying at the news, it had slowly sunk in and I couldn't deny it anymore. That's about when the anger kicked back in. I cursed him and his brother more than a few times and had quite the fit in our- no, _my _cell, which I'm not all that proud of.

When I had finally calmed down enough, I put everything back the way it was and lay down on the bunk. I regretted it instantly because that got my mind going and it was soon after that the tears started streaking my face. Knowing he was gone hurt more than it had the last time we had been separated. This time it wasn't about life and death, and we didn't part ways saying 'I love you'. No. This time, he chose his brother over me and he left without so much as a _goodbye_. Knowing that he still cared about me, I could live with, but with what happened this time... It hurt more and more each second.

"Riley?"

I didn't respond to Aleah's voice, just stayed curled up on the bed, my back towards her. I hated being like this in front of anyone and I knew she understood that, but it didn't stop her from crawling onto the bed behind me. A cold shoulder never stopped her in the past and I knew it wouldn't stop her now.

With her arm wrapped around my waist, she pulled my back against her chest and lay there with me. She didn't say anything and she didn't move, willing to give me the comfort I desperately needed and wouldn't ask for. What I would do without this girl in my life, I'd never know.

"How's Nate...?" I asked after the tears had stopped. My voice was weak and raspy, and I couldn't help but feel pathetic. All this over a guy... All this over Dar- I had to bite my lip and force myself onto another thought before I lost my composure again. Suck it up, Riley.

"Hershel said he's banged up pretty bad, but he did the best he could for him," she replied. Her voice was softer than usual and even though I hated hearing pity in someone's voice, her tone didn't threaten me at all. "He also said that you did a good job cleaning his cuts and wrapping them. If you didn't, he'd be a lot worse off."

I nodded my head slowly, feeling her weight shift on the bed. It wasn't until her hand slid along my arm and stopped at my hand that I was reminded of the small object I had been trying to wish away. That thing, I was still denying and if I could will it gone, it would be.

"Riley..."

I knew what that tone meant... Not only was she curious, but she pretty much knew what was in my hand and she was worried. It had been so much easier to pretend that I didn't have the stupid thing and that it wasn't reality, but when Aleah got it from my hand and whispered my name in disbelief, it was hard to deny.

"What am I supposed to do...?" The tears I had managed to stop came flooding out and I knew they weren't going to stop anytime soon. That stupid pink box that had gotten me into all that trouble already had now cursed me with a little blue cross. I had told myself that as long as Daryl and I loved each other, we'd be fine... But he wasn't here anymore, so where did that leave me...?

"I don't..." I trailed off briefly, my mind racing with worry, doubt, and fear. "Lori died because of- how am I supposed to... And Daryl... He's..."

Aleah was quick to get rid of the pregnancy test and wrapped her arm around me again.

"You're a strong girl, Riley," she started. "I've seen you get by countless things on you're own, because sometimes you're a stubourn little-" She paused and nudged me slightly, earning a small chuckle to break through my tears. "But you have all of us to lean on. We're all here to help, and honestly, we've got nothing better to do, so don't you dare start up your _'I don't want to bother anyone'_ routine."

Another chuckle escaped my lips at her words and I found myself nodding. I wasn't going to get over it that easily, but I did take what she said to heart and that made it easier.

"Thanks, Aleah. I don't say it enough, but I love you, I really do."

She chuckled lightly. "Thanks, Riley, but you know I don't swing that way." Even though that's what she said, her arm tightened around me and she pressed a kiss to the back of my head.

"Bitch, just say that you love me, too."

After a bit of laughing from the both of us, she finally said it. "I love you too Riley. Always will."

I let the rest of the day go by before deciding I had moped around long enough. Aleah had gone to help make food with Carol a little while ago, so there was always that as motivation. On cue, my stomach grumbled, sealing the deal for me.

"I swear, if you try to make me puke again..."

With a sigh, I got up and ran a hand through my hair. It got stuck along the way as usual, but at this point I didn't care enough to get a brush. Thor, who was laying on the floor, got up with some struggle and limped towards me. I couldn't help the way my lips pulled down at the corners. What I was going through was one thing, but seeing my baby in pain like that was another.

In the time that I've had him, he's never been severely injured or sick, so it was a new feeling seeing those bandages on him. I was glad that he was alive though. Losing Thor too would be way too much.

"Come on, Thor, you can have some of my food."

His tail started wagging happily and his ears perked up at the mention of food. He was such a goof ball.

* * *

"Y'let that bitch hit'cha back there. You some kind'a pussy now?"

Daryl looked back at his brother, sending him a glare as they walked. "I ain't a pussy and she ain't a bitch."

The two had been walking for a few hours, their conversation limited to which direction they were headed in and what kind of animals they could hunt in the area. Daryl preferred it that way for the time being, but apparently Merle wanted to actually talk... Or be a shit disturber as the case may be. Daryl was already in a rather pissed off mood from what had happened between him and his 'group'.

Merle was well aware of it and his smirk only widened at Daryl's response. "So you just let her get away with it? What? Officer Friendly tell you to be nice to the 'lady folk'?"

"He's got nothin' to do with it."

As much as Daryl just wanted Merle to shut up, luck wasn't leaning in his favour.

"Then you got'ta be lookin' to get your dick wet. I should'a had that blond while I had the chance."

Daryl felt his body tense as Merle kept talking, going on about what he'd do to Riley given the chance. It set his nerves on fire listening to him. That was _his _girl Merle was talking about, _his _girl Merle wanted to fuck, and _his _girl Merle would never get his hands on.

"You ain't gon'na lay a hand on her," Daryl snapped. He turned heel to face Merle, a look of surprise on the older man's face.

"What, you got a thing for her, baby brother?" A familiar look of amusement worked its way onto Merle's face. "Sorry to tell ya, but the blond's been fuckin' someone else back at your prison."

Daryl's brows furrowed and he adjusted his crossbow. "The hell you talkin' 'bout?"

The corner of Merle's lips curled at the corner. "Girl got knocked up. Had one of those piss sticks on her."

Daryl froze to the spot, his eyes widening slightly at the news. If Merle was telling him the truth, then it was him who got Riley pregnant... And he'd just up and left her. He had thought she was just choosing the group over him, that he wasn't good enough to follow after, but if she was pregnant... That changed everything in his mind. Why didn't she say something though...?

"Where the hell are you going?"

"Back to the prison." Daryl only paused for a second to speak, but when he continued, Merle grabbed onto the back of his shirt. The thin fabric ripped as Daryl tried to pull free, exposing scars that ran along his back. Merle was at a loss for words seeing them.

"I didn't know... He was..."

Straightening himself out, Daryl huffed and took a step away.

"Yeah, well he did."

He didn't want to talk about that- about any of that really. He had somewhere else to be and someone else to be _with_. He was an idiot for choosing Merle over the rest of the group- over Riley- and he was damn well going to correct that mistake.

"Daryl, wait... I can't go back with you."

That didn't seem to sway Daryl's decision much, but he did slow down to turn towards Merle. For once in Daryl's life, Merle actually looked lost... Almost vulnerable.

"That blond back there, the one that I let hit me- that's _my _girl," Daryl told him sternly. "Her name's Riley and she ain't no bitch. She's tough, smart, and beautiful, yet she chose _me_." He made sure that got across to his older brother. He knew Merle would laugh and say she didn't care for him, but he knew she did. "By stickin' with you, I went and fucked that up though and I damn well ain't gon'na let you stop me from fixin' it just 'cause _you _fucked up."

Daryl's chest heaved before he turned and continued off through the forest. It wasn't Daryl that chose to kidnap three of his group and it certainly wasn't Daryl that beat up and tortured Glenn. No. That was Merle and to hell with him if Daryl was going to give up what he had because his brother made wrong decisions.

Daryl was going to go back to the prison and hope- pray if he had to- that Riley would take him back. If she didn't... He had no idea what he'd do.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Oh Daryl, you should know by now that I don't make it that easy. It's weird though, cause I really like this chapter... I mean, not that Riley's having breakdowns and stuff, but I like this one because you get to see Riley and Aleah's relationship along with Daryl and Merle's. I'm I that crazy? :P

Oh! And since we now know that Riley's expecting (dun dun dunnnn) I think I'm going to make a poll on my profile page about it. I'm still undecided if I want to throw in another baby and 9 months of Riley being more or less useless, so I want you, the readers to help me decide :D With the way season 3 ended, it's entirely plausible to have Riley have a baby, but I want to hear what people think first. If you're still reading this footnote at this point, leave a review and check if I've put the poll up. I want to hear from everyone about it :)


	20. Fall Out

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 20 - Fall Out**

* * *

Aleah was never one to hide the fact that she was interested in someone and she was always very open about her sexual advances, unless of course, she actually _liked _that person. I've always found it amusing how differently she acted around various guys, so when I walked into Nate's cell to find her sitting at his bedside, I couldn't help but smirk.

"Eww, get a room."

Both of their attentions turned to me instantly, a blush over Aleah's face and a grin on Nate's.

"It just so happens we have one," Nate countered. "You're just interrupting."

I didn't normally like saying he was right, but well... He was right.

"So it would seem..." I mumbled. "I guess you're feeling better?"

He gave a nod and grinned in Aleah's direction. "It helped that I had such a pretty nurse."

I felt my eyes roll before I could stop them, yet a smile still tugged on my lips. "At least one of you is pretty. You look like crap. No offense."

Having to hold back a laugh due to his injuries, he sent me a shrug. "None taken."

Throughout our little banter, Aleah was chuckling to herself and shaking her head in disbelief. "How you two didn't kill each other during those six months, I'll never know."

Both of us couldn't help but laugh and nod our heads in agreement. If we were paired up with anyone else, our smart ass remarks wouldn't have been taken as kindly, but it was the banter that helped us through the hard times.

"I should go see if they need my help with anything," Aleah commented reluctantly.

I gave her an appreciative nod as she stood up and put a bashful kiss on Nate's forehead before leaving the cell. Honestly, I thought it was adorable, but I wouldn't admit it just yet. I knew that Aleah was leaving the room for me, so I didn't want to tease her. After everything that had happened, I just wanted to hang around Nate for a while like we used to. I was glad she understood that.

"So, do I have to give you the whole _'she's my best friend, if you hurt her I'll hunt you down and castrate you' _speech?"

Nate's face paled slightly at the suggestion and he shook his head quickly. "No, I'm good. Though... I don't know why you want to do that so desperately."

I gave him a shrug and sat down on the bed beside him. "Seems to get the point across to guys." There was a brief silence as I considered that sentence and what had happened. " Maybe I should have ran that line past Daryl..."

As soon as I spoke the words, the mood of the room shifted. Normally, you could feel tension in a room after saying something like that, but the tension wasn't there. That's why I had come to Nate.

Without a word, he shifted to the far side of the bed and pat the empty spot beside him. I accepted the invitation without hesitation and lay down beside him, being careful of his wounds. From what I'd been told, Nate had a broken nose, a few cracked ribs, and multiple fractures along his right forearm- and that was just the bone stuff.

"Aleah told me what happened," Nate started, his voice softer than it had been minutes ago. "How are you holding up?"

"As well as I can, I guess." Sighing to myself, I rolled onto my side to face him. "Men are dicks."

His brow raised at my animosity before shaking his head. "Nuh uh, you are not going to pin this one on the male gender. Blame his brother or something."

My lips pulled into a stubborn pout. "Well, it wasn't his brother's fault I'm pregnant."

I hadn't said it for the purpose of telling, Nate- it was more of a muttered snide comment- but he heard it none the less and his eyes bulged at the news. "You're- Really? You're not just pulling my leg, right? Teasing the injured guy isn't cool..."

I shook my head slowly with a sigh. I was doing that a lot lately, wasn't I? "I wouldn't joke about that... Aleah did that to me once and I was going to kill her for it."

It was silent for a few moments as we lay there and I felt him brush back some of my hair. "We've got a good setup here. It'll be safe-"

"Didn't we say that to Lori?" I countered. My tone held some anger, but it wasn't towards him, just the situation. "And with 'the Governor' on our asses now..."

Nate's eyes drifted off thoughtfully, my point more than valid. When he finally made a move to open his mouth, we heard a commotion in the hall. By the sounds of it, it was Rick and Tyreese, and they didn't sound happy.

"So you just _let _him go?! This Governor guy is going to come after us, we need the muscle!"

The tone of Tyreese's voice reminded me of back at the farm. Only this time, I agreed with him.

"It was either that or his brother comes with us-"

"Then we'd have two more people than we do now!"

Rick grunted in agitation. "You don't know what his brother's like. He's the one that _kidnapped _our people, Tyreese. He started this shit."

"So let him end it. We're down four people now. Oscar's dead, Nathan's injured, Daryl's off to God knows where, and Riley's too busy crying about it."

I felt my body tense at his comment and I saw Nate's eyes narrow. "That is _not _fair," he spat out, trying to get up.

I pushed him back down gently and shook my head. "He has a point..."

Nate's brows furrowed at my defeated response and he shook his head. "No, he doesn't."

I wanted to argue it, but Rick countered Tyreese's point and I was surprised that he did and _how _he did it. "You weren't much better when Julie died. At least she didn't kill someone, then run into a room of walkers to die!"

Instead of a heated response, a loud thud echoed trough the prison and a fight broke out in the hall. Almost instantly, I was up on my feet, running out of the cell. Nate tried to follow, but I sent him a glare. He got the point and very reluctantly stayed put.

"Like you didn't do the same thing when Lori died!" There were a few more punches exchanged before he continued. "Or like when you killed Thomas!"

As I turned the corner, I saw Rick slam Tyreese into the wall, then punch him in the jaw. They were on the second level so there wasn't much moving room where they were. "That was for the good of the group! You guys put me in charge, so I have to do what's best for the group! Thomas would have turned around and killed us all!"

"Sure, for the good of the group. That's what you say at first, but I've seen what this shit's done to you. You've got blood lust!"

Approaching cautiously, I tried to make my presence known, but neither turned their attention towards me. "Guys, you can't be fighting at a time like-"

"You probably enjoyed cutting off Hershel's leg, too! 'Oh, I did it to save his life'. Bullshit!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Rick threw a punch at Tyreese's jaw. "He would have died!"

Tyreese backed up and dodged the next punch, only to land a hard punch across Rick's temple. "You going to kill me too, killer?"

I wanted to jump in and stop them, but I knew I wasn't strong enough. As Rick swayed towards the railing though, I wish I had stepped in.

"I'm not... A killer..."

As his words trailed off, he stumbled into the railing and fell right over it. A thud echoed throughout the prison and Tyreese was quick to jump the rail to follow him. "Rick!"

With wide eyes, I ran down the stairs to where they were and saw Rick throw a weak punch at Tyreese from his spot on the floor. "You call me a killer... Then try to kill me?"

"No, Rick. You blacked out and fell over the rail-"

"Bullshit!"

"Then hit me again."

Tyreese lowered his hands to give Rick a free shot, but he didn't take it. "I can't."

Rick let his head fall back and Tyreese fell onto his back as well, pain evident on both their faces. "Fuck this..."

"Glenn! Hershel! I need you over here a-sap!" I called before crouching down where Rick and Tyreese were laying. "Are you two out of your minds? You could have killed each other."

I looked between the two of them, but neither seemed all that remorseful. Talk about two stubborn alphas.

"What's wro- Oh shit. Riley, what happened?"

It was Glenn that rounded the corner first, surprise and worry evident on his face. Hershel was close behind with Carol, Axel, Aleah, and Maggie.

"They got into a fight, then Rick fell over the railing..." I paused to point up to where he had fell from. "Then Tyreese jumped after him."

Hershel moved closer and looked them over quickly. "Rick, can you move your feet?"

It took a second, but Rick shifted his legs, wincing from the movement. "Yeah. Everything feels broken though."

I bit my lip as Glenn moved in to help him up. There was so much to deal with already and now Rick and Tyreese kicked the shit out of each other. We needed a leader now more than ever and the last thing that was going to help our situation is to be fighting.

Glenn now had Rick supported with an arm slung over his shoulder, but Rick didn't seem quite finished. "Everything I did was for the good of the group. You... You can't say that."

Axel was giving Tyreese a hand up, but Rick's second in command didn't seem to care about the comment, instead, he just waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever man. I don't even care anymore."

Once everything was settled and Hershel had a chance to patch up Rick and Tyreese, Glenn called a meeting in the main cell block. Other than Nathan, Rick, and Tyreese, everyone else was there. Glenn hadn't said anything about what the meeting was about, but I was guessing it had something to do with who should be in charge and what we were going to do about the Woodburry situation.

"I don't think we should sit here and wait for them to come after us," Glenn started. He turned to Michonne pointedly. "You know where his apartment is. We can go tonight and put a bullet in his head. We can end it."

The woman in question didn't speak up, but it did seem like she was considering it. I liked the idea, but at the same time, it was really risky.

"They didn't know we were coming last time and look what happened," Hershel intervened. "You and Maggie were almost executed, Oscar was shot, and Daryl and Nathan got captured. They'll be expecting us this time."

I forced Daryl's name to roll off my shoulder and instead, I paid attention to how Glenn's face hardened stubbornly as he approached Hershel. "You can't stop me."

I'm sure if the group really wanted to stop him, we could, but Hershel took another approach. "Rick won't allow this."

Judging by the look on Glenn's face, I knew that a new topic was arising.

"Do you really think he's in any position to make that choice?" No one responded, so Glenn continued. "I'm not even sure he's in the right state of mind to be leading right now."

"Then who should?" Aleah spoke up. "Tyreese?"

I chose then to add my input. "Not after what I've seen of him lately."

It was quiet for a few minutes as various looks were directed between Glenn, Aleah, and myself. I had stepped up in the past and it hadn't been all that bad, but right now, I don't think I'd be able to do much good.

"I'll do it," Glenn finally declared. He and Hershel exchanged a look before he continued. "We'll stay here and defend the prison. We'll make a stand."

* * *

**Footnote:**

Woo, the big 2 oh. Almost there people. There's what, two weeks before season 4? Soooo excited!

I know a bunch of you that reviewed were pro baby, but if you don't go to the poll on my profile page and vote I can't keep track. I think right now the anti baby movement is in the lead (yes, that's what I'm calling it) so if you want a baby Dixon you better go vote. It's at the top of my profile page.


	21. Under Fire

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 21 - Under Fire**

* * *

It had all happened so quickly and none of us were expecting it. Bullets quizzed by our heads and ricocheted off the random barriers we had set up. With Rick down for the count earlier and with Glenn deciding that we were going to defend the prison, we figured it would be beneficial to fortify the area. We had done quite a bit, but we hadn't expected a retaliation so soon. We were caught unprepared and we were suffering because of it.

"Carol, run!"

Maggie popped her head over her cover and started shooting wildly at the man in our watch tower. The plan was to defend Carol with cover fire as she ran to us and it worked. How the guy had had gotten up in our tower in the first place, we'd never know, but his position was a strong one and we had already lost Axel to it.

"Keep your heads down and shoot between their shots!" I shouted over all the commotion. Whoever said video games didn't teach you anything clearly didn't expect an apocalypse. "If you keep him distracted I can get a shot on him."

I received accepting nods from the two females and once they started alternating shots, I placed my rifle on the shelving unit in front of me and took aim. All I needed was to land one shot and he was done for.

Letting my breath out, I held it and squeezed the trigger. Almost instantly, the man collapsed and tumbled from the top of the tower to the ground. A triumphant grin worked its way to my lips, but my victory was short lived as a bullet grazed my arm.

"Son of a-"

Gripping the wound I fell back against my cover and cursed under my breath.

"Riley, you alright?" The gunshots continued, but I recognized Aleah's voice over the commotion.

"Yeah, it just grazed me," I replied.

I tried to take a head count of our group, but there was too much chaos all around. I knew Carl, Sophia and Beth were inside with little ass kicker, Nate was still resting inside, Tyreese and Michonne were over by the vehicles, but where was Hershel and Rick? Rick had decided he didn't want to be cooped up inside, but I hadn't seen either of then in a while.

"Maggie, have you seen your father?"

A look of dread washed over her face and I could only assume she didn't know.

"Aleah, do you know where Hershel and Rick are?" I called.

The shots continued, but she still shouted over them. "I saw Hershel out on the field, but I think Rick went beyond the fence."

I took a look where she nudged her thumb, but I couldn't see either of them. I guess that was a good thing so they wouldn't get shot at, but what if they were already hit...?

The second the thought crossed my mind, a truck came speeding towards the prison and crashed right through the two front gates. The shooting on both sides seemed to pause as everyone turned their attention to the truck. We were confused at first, which was justified, but we could only watch in horror as walkers started to filter out of the back of the vehicle.

"We need to get my dad out of there!"

I wasn't about to waste time questioning how they got so many walkers in there, but there must have been at least 30, maybe more, plus the ones walking in through the destroyed gate.

Without much thought, because it was a pretty stupid idea, I ran towards the field and drew my kukris. The second I stepped through the gate, I knew I had just greatly lowered my life expectancy, but if Hershel was in here, I wasn't going to let him die.

"Hershel!"

I finally spotted him closer to the outer fence, so I started making my way towards him. He had gotten up slowly and started hobbling towards me, but I wasn't confident that it was going to be enough. Chances were, we were both going to die.

Slashing and stabbing through the small horde, I kept moving across the field, but it didn't even feel like I was making a dent in their numbers. I was getting closer to Hershel, but the walkers were getting closer to me.

From behind, I suddenly heard a loud groan and I knew I was done for. Any second now, it's teeth would be sinking into my flesh, but the pain never came. Instead, something whizzed by my head and when I spun around, the walker was dead, an arrow through its eye.

My heart started to hammer in my chest as I turned to see where the arrow came from and I felt my breath hitch at the sight of Daryl on the other side of the fence. I couldn't afford to let my panic and shock take me over, so with shaking hands, I continued through the walkers until I was at Hershel's side. He also held a look of panic in his eyes, but they suddenly filled with determination as he looked over my shoulder.

I turned in time to spot another truck speeding towards us, but this time I recognized it and the driver. Glenn was a bloody life saver.

Pulling the truck to a stop beside us, he got out and helped Hershel into the passenger seat while I fought off more walkers. Once they were in, I jumped up onto the back of the truck bed and knocked on the back window. As soon as I did, Glenn had the truck speeding back towards the prison.

I kept low in the truck bed as shots started to hit around me, but once we were past the next gate, the gunfire finally stopped.

"They're leaving," Aleah pointed out.

Jumping from the truck bed, I cautiously moved to her side and watched as a jeep sped off through the treeline. A sigh of relief worked its way past my lips, but when my eyes panned to the right and I saw the three guys outside the fence, I felt light headed. Was he really back? After all that and the fuss he caused, he was back within a few days? Sure, I wanted him back, desperately really, but I didn't know where we stood anymore. For one, I was more than pissed off at him.

"Riley...?"

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I instantly knew it was Aleah. I hadn't realized how tight my fists were and most likely, they were shaking in anger.

"After all that, he has the nerve to just show up again like nothing happened," I muttered. "He chose his brother over us and we'll just end up overlooking it."

Her hand tightened on my shoulder slightly and I could tell she didn't like where my thoughts were headed, but it wasn't going to change my mind. Him leaving hurt more than any physical wound had in the past. I had gotten over the denial stage and the sadness, but now I was stuck on the anger. As the saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Aleah finally dropped her hand and turned to Glenn as he started talking. I did the same shortly after.

"We need to distract those walkers in there so Rick can get back in" He looked around thoughtfully before continuing. "Tyreese, help me with the gate when they get here. The rest of you, split up and draw the walkers attentions away from them."

Giving understanding agreements, everyone set off to complete their tasks. Aleah, Carol, and I went down one side of the fence while Maggie, Michonne, and Hershel went the other way. Carol and Aleah started hitting the fence to draw the walkers in, but with my arm still bleeding, I decided to smear some of it onto the fence. It seemed to work even better than the noise, so I continued along the perimeter.

Once the walkers were well enough distracted, Rick and the Dixons made their way to the entrance. They did their best to put the downed gate back in place so no more walkers could get in, but I doubted it would last long like that. It was a good idea though, and soon enough, they were making their way through the field.

A few walkers noticed them, but by the time they reacted, Rick, Daryl, and Merle were past the second gates and safely behind the fence. The three of them looked to be unscathed, which was good. Rick was first to ask about the rest of the group.

"Is everyone okay?"

By the looks of it, I was the only one with blood on them... Well, aside from Axel whom had taken a bullet to the temple. The others told Rick about it, but my attention turned to Daryl as he approached me, his eyes darting between my face and my arm.

"You should be more careful, Riley. What if-"

My eyes narrowed and I cut him off. "If what? If you weren't around? If you _left _us?"

He looked taken aback and angry for a moment, but I could tell he forced himself to calm down. "I thought-"

Once again, I cut him off, not in the mood for this right now. "No, you didn't think. That's the problem."

I didn't wait to see how he'd react, instead I walked away and stood on the opposite side of Aleah. I saw her look back at Daryl, but she didn't say anything about it. I was glad she didn't.

"I know you guys have been talking," Rick started. I could tell this was about what had happened earlier and while I wished he had picked a time when we weren't just attacked, I guess now was as good a time as any. "I can understand where you're coming from. I'm not fit to be making all the decisions for the group. No one is. But I'm under the impression that some things have been said about me. I'd like to clear the air. I want to get it out in the open."

By this point, he had everyone's attention, but Tyreese chose to speak up. "Rick, look. We all respect you and thank you for all you've done for us... But you've really gone over the deep end. You _killed _Thomas and after Lori-"

"What?! _That's _what you people can't get over? That's what's got you thinking I've lost it?"

Aside from Tyreese, the rest of us stayed quiet.

"Rick..."

"No. Do not interrupt me. I have something to say- and you are all going to listen. You owe me that much.

"I'm a cop- I know that technically what I did was wrong. I know the laws- I know how thing used to be, but things have changed. I killed Thomas to protect us all. Don't think that he wouldn't have come after us, killing each and everyone of our group.

"I'll admit, I kept from telling you all because I thought you people might prefer to not know just how savage we're going to have to be for just a while longer. Things have changed. The world has changed- and we're going to have to change with it. Understand?"

I could understand what he was getting at. I've had to deal with it and I've had to kill to survive. He was making perfect sense to me.

"We will evolve," Rick continued. "We'll make new rules- still be humane and kind and we'll still care for each other. But when the time comes, we have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep us safe. We have to adapt to this world if we are going to survive. Have I gone crazy? Maybe- but so has the world. You don't want me to be the leader? Fine. I don't care. I'm happy to be without the pressure, but I will still do whatever I have to do to keep us safe.

"But you have to stop fooling yourselves. This is it. This is our life. We're not waiting here, biding our time for what comes next, or waiting to be rescued. If you want to make things better, we have to come to grips with that."

It was silent for a few moments as everyone took in what was being said. I could tell Tyreese wanted to argue it, but before he could speak, I raised a hand to stop him. "Rick's right. We can't be naive and think things will go back to the way they were."

Rick nodded in my direction before setting a hard gaze on the group. It felt as if the majority of them were still hesitant to accept it. "Don't you guys get it?

"**We **_**are **_**the walking dead.**"

* * *

**Footnote:**

I`m not sure how many of you have read the comics, but when Rick said that line, I got goosebumps. I just HAD to put this little speech in. It`s been shortened, but it`s such an important monologue (if i can call it that) for the story and by saying `we are the walking dead`, it explains so much about the focus of the comic and show.

And with that little rant aside :P I just wanted to let everyone know that team Pro Baby Dixon has taken the lead. The poll will be up for quite some time, so if you still haven`t voted, go do so~

What else... Oh! I've been working on another picture of Riley and Daryl (it's not done yet), but I think I might hold it as bribery to get to 100 reviews... hmm :)


	22. Planning Ahead

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 22 - Planning Ahead**

* * *

After the whole Rick speech, most of the group was quiet, either looking thoughtful or distraught. What Rick said was nothing new to Daryl though. Hell, that kind of reality was how he'd been living his whole life. Survival of the fittest was nothing new to him and his brother, yet at the moment, he didn't feel all that powerful.

Carol and the others were glad he was back and welcomed him with open arms, but the one person he needed to welcome him wouldn't have any of it. And since Riley was pissed at him, Aleah was giving him a cold shoulder as well. He didn't even want to imagine what Nathan would do about it if he wasn't bed ridden.

He did know that he had to fix things though, but how he was going to do it was an entirely different question. He figured he could start by talking to her.

"Leave her alone, Daryl."

His fists clenched at Aleah's voice and he stopped walking. In all honesty, he hadn't noticed her at first, his eyes only set on his target at the other side of the room, but apparently she felt the need to stop him.

"This doesn't have anything t'do with you," he muttered. He didn't want to be mad at Aleah- he had actually grown to like the girl over the months, but she was getting in his way and he wasn't happy about it.

"Riley's my best friend and right now she doesn't want to talk to you. So yes, this does have to do with me."

A tsking sound made its way from Daryl's lips and he started walking again, not caring anymore. Well, until Aleah spoke up again.

"You're just going to make it worse."

That stopped Daryl in his tracks once more and he finally approached her, annoyance evident on his features.

"And what exactly would make it better?"

Biting down his pride and stubbornness, he sat down across from her and waited quietly. By the looks of it, she had been cleaning weapons and hadn't even looked up at him yet.

"Giving her space for one." Daryl opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "Yes, she had space while you were gone, but that doesn't mean she wants to see you right now."

Daryl's brow furrowed in confusion. He never claimed to be good at understanding people, especially of the female gender, but if she was upset that he was gone, wouldn't she _want _to be around him since he was back...?

Aleah sighed to herself. "You're not getting it... She feels betrayed and at the moment, very, _very _angry about you leaving."

"But I came back-"

"_After _leaving." She finally looked up at him curiously. "Why did you leave anyways...?"

"Rick wouldn't let my brother come back with us. I couldn' leave him twice." The way he spoke made it sound as if the decision was such an easy one.

"And you'd leave Riley for him?"

Daryl turned a glare towards her quickly. "I didn' want to, but she wouldn't come with me." He paused and his glare lowered with a sigh. "I though she'd chose the group over me- thought I wasn't good enough."

Aleah could hear how his voice dropped, signaling that he knew he made a wrong assumption, but he wasn't going to get off the hook that easily. She didn't get a chance to say anything though before he continued.

"Merle told me she got knocked up an' I knew it must'a been mine. If she was, then it made sense that she couldn' come with us."

Daryl looked up at Aleah for some sort of confirmation that Riley was pregnant, but it wasn't something that she should be telling him. He should be hearing the news from Riley herself.

"You think she's pregnant?" She did her best to look convincing, a brow raised and a skeptical look on her face. "I highly doubt it."

He didn't buy it though. "You've never been a good liar, Aleah."

She chuckled at his observations and shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying. But look, I want you two back together, honestly, but right now if I help you out, Riley's going to hate me too and-"

A look of worry made its way to Daryl's face. "She hates me...?"

Aleah fidgeted slightly and rubbed her neck. "She thinks she does. It's easier to focus on anger and hate than sadness. Though, I'd assume the pregnancy has something to do with her moodiness. Bad timing for you, I guess."

Daryl stayed quiet and listened, hoping he could use what she was telling him to his advantage. "So what should I do?"

It wasn't an easy question to answer and Aleah made sure to give it some thought first. "You need to reassure her that you still love her and all that jazz." Daryl's cheeks tinted pink no matter how hard he tried to hide it and she couldn't help but smile at the subconscious gesture. "I'll tell her I want to talk to her in her cell later, but instead, you'll meet her there."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded his understanding.

"Don't fuck up though, 'cause if you do, it's my ass on the line too. Also, in the first trimester, woman tend to be repulsed by sex. Probably not yet, but just a heads up."

"The fucks a 'first trimester'?"

Almost instantly, Aleah rolled her eyes. "You took sex ed, didn't you?" The look he gave her was enough of an answer. "You know what, that part doesn't even mater. If she initiates it, fine, if not, don't do it."

Her instructions were easy enough, so with a nod, he stood up and turned to leave. "Thanks, Aleah."

Even though he couldn't see her, she nodded and went back to cleaning weapons.

"Don't fuck it up, Daryl."

* * *

As much as I wanted to keep Daryl out of my thoughts, I couldn't help but notice him talking to Aleah on the other side of the room. What they were talking about was a mystery to me, so I did my best to ignore it. Out of sight, our of mind and all that, so I turned my back and looked for a distraction. There was a small gathering in the main cell block, so I headed that way in hopes of something to do. When I got closer, I realized it was only Michonne, Tyreese, and Glenn.

"Whatever you're plotting, I want in."

The trio looked surprised at first, but were quick to nod. I wasn't sure what I just got myself into, but I needed to do something productive.

"Glenn, you can stay here then. It won't raise as much attention," Tyreese instructed. "Riley, we're going to go after that son of a bitch and his men. They won't be expecting us so early after their attack. Plus, they think we're scared."

I gave a nod of understanding, my attention turning to the three sets of riot gear on the table behind them.

"Does Rick know what you're planning?"

Tyreese didn't look ashamed in the least as he shook his head. "He'll just stop us from going. We need to retaliate, show them that they haven't won, that we're not scared."

For once, I could agree with Tyreese on something like this. The Woodbury group probably thinks they can walk all over us, but there's no way we're going down without a fight. And if we have to take that fight to them, then so be it.

"Alright, let's do this before they get away."

Exchanging a nod between the three of us, we suited up and headed out. Tyreese slung a couple of shotguns onto his back and Michonne had her sword and an uzi. Unfortunately, after being kidnapped, I never got my crossbow back. Maggie had found my kukris during all the commotion from our rescue mission, but I still felt uneasy without my bow. Tyreese handed me an automatic rifle to use, so I'd have to make due with what I had. A rifle was definitely better than nothing.

As we made our way out of the prison and to the gates, there was literally no one around. Normally, you could find someone no matter where you go, but I guess after the attack everyone was being cautious. It did make it easier for us to get out of the prison without being questioned though.

"Be careful guys. And put a bullet in that asshole's head for me." Glenn gave us all a parting fist bump as we left, then closed the gate behind us.

"Keep your helmets on and your visors down," Michonne instructed as we started running across the field. "If he were smart, he'd have left snipers to take care of us if we followed. And if he were really smart, he'd have them wait until we cleared the treeline so our people wouldn't see. I'm counting on his arrogance that he hasn't done either."

Listening to her thought process was pretty comforting. She was normally quiet and reserved, but she had a tactical mid that I was more than happy was on our side.

"If we get shot at, we turn around and get back to the prison immediately."

Tyreese and I responded with a 'deal' as we broke through the tree line, but I could tell Tyreese was starting to have his doubts in the situation.

"This is crazy..."

Michonne shook her head and started creeping through the bushes with us right behind. "It's not crazy. If we get two of them and head back to the prison then this was worth it."

I gave a nod. "It's a good opportunity."

A few more minutes of travel and Michonne suddenly raised a hand, signalling for us to stop. She then pointed to her ear as a cue to listen. Just a little ways away, I could hear the faint sound of liquid falling to the ground and I could only assume one of the men was relieving himself by a tree. I'd normally say _poor guy_, but that 'poor guy' just helped attack our prison and kill Axel.

Without warning, Michonne rushed forward and slashed the man from the top of his head downward, killing him instantly.

"Tyreese, help me hide the body."

She didn't even flinch at what she had just done or said. Taking a human's life with a gun was tough enough, but doing it with a blade was that much harder. I knew from experience that it's not easy and I had to wonder how many people she's killed in the past.

Before either of us got to her side, we heard rustling in the bushes behind us and a man walked into our line of sight. Unfortunately it was his line of sight as well, and he was quick to alert the others before he was shot in the head.

"Let's get out of here," Tyreese suggested.

His voice was slightly panicked, but I could understand his concern. If we were caught now, we were dead. And chances were, we were going to get caught.

Michonne seemed to think it was worth it though. "We can't go back yet, we're right here. We can kill that bastard."

I wanted to get rid of the Governor as much as any of us, but at the same time, I wasn't so sure I was willing to die for a _chance _to kill him. If it was certain, and I knew it would stop the attacks on my group, I'd gladly give my life, but this rested too much on chance.

Before we knew it, there was gunfire and the three of us made a beeline for cover in a bush behind some trees. We could hear their footsteps getting closer, and when they were just yards from us, we sprung from the bush and took out three of their men. Unfortunately, there was a fourth... And a fifth and they had guns.

I felt the bullet whiz by me before it made contact with Michonne. Her body fell backwards to the ground and panic set in.

We were in big trouble now.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Welp, they just got themselves into shit. I think I should have explained more why Riley agreed so quickly, but I've never been really good with that stuff... ^^; You know when you're angry/moody and you make stupid and impulsive decisions? Yeah, that was one of them.

Hmm, that picture I mentioned yesterday is just about done, so review people~

Also... I haven't quite finished writing the ending yet . Mainly because I haven't decided on what I want to happen... If I were to be nice, I'd wrap things up like the tv show, but it's kind of fun to leave you guys on a giant cliffhanger like Footsteps did ;P This also means that if anyone has a request on what they want to happen (not just for the ending) it could happen. So if you read this far into my footnotes and you have a suggestion, I'll definitely take it into consideration. :)


	23. Repercussions

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 23 - Repercussions**

* * *

A string of curse words flew from my mouth as I dropped down to check on Michonne. This mission of ours was supposed to go smoothly. We get in, kill the Governor, then get out. Easy when you think about it that way, but it'd gone sour now and I was starting to wonder if we were actually going to make it out of here alive.

"Is she okay?" Tyreese questioned. His voice sounded panicked, but I couldn't blame him.

"The bullet hit her riot gear," I answered as I assessed the situation. "She's just winded."

More bullets whizzed by us and Tyreese continued to put down cover fire.

"Help her up and let's get the hell out of here," Tyreese ordered.

Without a second thought, I slung one of Michonne's arms over my shoulders and pulled her to her feet. Tyreese picked up her sword quickly and stayed in front of us while still returning fire. Michonne didn't seem to like our plan though and tried to pull away with what little oxygen she could breath in.

"We need- to kill- that bast- ard." At this point, she was gasping for air, her hand gripping where the bullet had landed on her chest.

I was quick to shake my head and pull her away from the fight with Tyreese right behind me.

"You said if we got shot at, we bail," Tyreese commented. "We got shot at."

She wanted to retort, I could tell, but she kept quiet and walked along my side. It was hard enough to support her weight with all this riot gear on and the last thing I needed was for her to be fighting against me. We still had a ways to go though, and the Governor's men didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon.

Suddenly, from the side, a man jumped out of the bush at Tyreese and swung a bat at him. Tyreese was able to dodge, but he dropped his weapons in the process, the bat nearly making contact with his arms. I turned to give him a hand with one of my kukris drawn, but he held his hand up as he squared off with the man.

"Just take Michonne and go!"

My eyes widened at his instructions and I didn't even consider following them. Instead, when the guy took a swing at Tyreese, I put Michonne down and lunged at the man with my kukris. I felt the sickening crack of his skull as my blade sunk into his head and I felt my vision swim for a moment. It was nothing like killing a walker, or even shooting someone. It was totally different and I knew it was my hands taking this man's life away.

Tyreese must have noticed my reaction, because he quickly picked up his weapon and pointed me back through the forest.

"Take her and get out of here."

Being stubborn old me, I shook my head instantly. Apparently though, it wasn't up for debate.

"I said get out of here! Now!"

His tone caught me off guard and I took a step back. I knew he could hear the men running towards us from a distance and I had to question what he was thinking. I doubted he'd be able to fight that many men, but at the same time, this was the man that survived a gym full of walkers. Maybe he did have a chance after all.

"I'll hold them off and then meet you up at the tree line," he instructed evenly. "I can handle myself, don't worry."

Even with the reassurance, I was still worried. At the same time though, I could understand where he was coming from. Running with Michonne in her current condition, we couldn't move very fast. If I stayed and fought, we'd all get over whelmed and if we all ran, we'd get caught within minutes. He was probably thinking that at least Michonne and I would get out.

"Leave! Now!"

I didn't like the thought of leaving him behind, but he had his mind set and I didn't want Michonne's death to be on my hands as well. Mumbling out an apology, I pulled Michonne to her feet and started making my way through the forested area as quickly as I could. I could hear gunshots behind me, but when we were around the treeline, the gunfire stopped all together.

I was hoping Tyreese had gotten away at that point, but when I saw a truck return to the prison shortly after, I knew he hadn't made it away. It wasn't a good sign at all.

There wasn't much I could do though. Both Michonne and I were hidden behind some trees and a bush with just my blades and an automatic rifle. Sure, the rifle could do some damage, but once the clip was empty and our position was given away, we were as good as dead.

As we watched, the back of the truck opened up and Tyreese was dragged out and thrown to his knees. They had taken his riot gear off, leaving him bare chested and unprotected. That's also when I spotted Michonne's sword in the Governor's hand. This day just got twenty times worse.

He set off a single gunshot into the air from his pistol and waited until Rick and the others ran outside to find out what was going on.

"As you can see, we have one of your men," the Governor spoke. "We also have the two girls that were with him. If anyone gets trigger happy, they die. Understand?"

He held up Michonne's katana and I just hoped they wouldn't fall for his bluff.

"If you want your man back alive, open the gate and come with us."

Tyreese had been quiet, but when the Governor stopped talking, he raised his head. "Don't do it-"

He didn't get to say anything more than that, the hilt of Michonne's katana knocking him on the head.

"This is your last chance," the Governor warned. "Open the gates."

I could see some of our people along the fence arguing with Rick, but the latter was shaking his head and seemed to be explaining something to them evenly. I was glad he wasn't going to give into the Governor's demands, but then I spotted Daryl. He was pacing behind the group and would occasionally turn to say something to Rick. I couldn't hear anything from where I was, so he wasn't yelling, but I could tell by his posture that he was not happy at all.

I wanted to ease his worry and tell him I was alright, but I was quick to scold myself. I was supposed to be mad at him, have him take his punishment for not thinking, yet right now all I wanted to do was run to him. As soon as we had started getting shot at, my body was in panic mode and my mind started swimming with fear. I was scared I was going to get caught, scared of what the Governor would do to me, and most importantly, scared of losing the people that meant the most to me. And once I stopped denying it, I knew Daryl topped that list. I was stupid for coming out here like this and putting myself in unnecessary danger. The baby too, whether I liked it or not, I had an added responsibility on my shoulders now. I couldn't afford to make impulsive decisions like this, yet there I was waist high in danger.

"You people must not realize how serious I am," the Governor spoke up. He didn't sound happy at all. "Here, let me show you how serious I am."

I could only watch with wide eyes as the psychotic man raised and lowered the katana at Tyreese's neck. It made a _thud _sound as it slashed into his spine before being lifted again and hacked at once more.

From watching Michonne fight previously, I knew her katana could slice through someone's neck with ease, so the fact that it took at least four swings meant that the Governor was trying to prolong it. What's worse was the gurgling sounds coming from Tyreese as his head was slowly severed and his body fell to the ground.

Just like that a member of our group was killed and what's more, by a human. I felt myself heave and my vision blurred for a moment. That could have easily been me or Michonne and we weren't home free now either.

"Give me your gun."

Michonne's voice pulled me from my panic, but I didn't comply. I made a stupid choice to come out here and I wasn't going to let her make a stupid decision by giving her my gun. If I did, she'd ran out there and get herself killed. Not even a second after she asked though, a bullet was fired at the Governor. I could hear commotion from the prison, but what caught my eye was how fast the Governor and his men were retreating. Michonne had stood up to chase after them, but it didn't take her long to realize she couldn't catch up or do anything about it.

"That son of a bitch won't get away with it," Michonne spit out. "I'll kill him myself."

A nod of was the only thing I could muster as we started walking back to the prison. Being one of the people that decided that this mission was a good idea, I felt responsible for Tyreese's death. I should have just told them right off the bat that this whole plan was a stupid idea and we shouldn't have done it, but no, I was too blinded by what had happened to see the flaws in our plan. I was too focused on being mad at Daryl and Merle to realize what was going on. I let my emotions get in the way and more than that, I wanted to prove that just because I was pregnant it didn't mean I was useless. All I had ended up proving is that I could make stupid decisions.

"Its not your fault, you know."

Michonne's voice startled me, but it didn't take long for the frown to reform on my lips.

"Partially, it is," I corrected stubbornly. I wasn't going to play innocent in all this. "I agreed to it and I left him behind back there."

She shook her head instantly. "He agreed with both of those. He knew what he was getting into and so did we."

Michonne's calm tone eased my nerves a bit, but it couldn't help me when we got near Tyreese's dead body. It wasn't just a dead walker or a random person that had run out of luck. It was someone I'd fought side by side with, someone who, despite our differences, I considered family. Knowing another one of my family was dead was a hard pill to swallow, especially under the circumstances. All I wanted to do now was curl up in a ball and cry.

Stupid, goddamn hormones.

"Riley? Michonne?" Aleah seemed to be the first to notice us as we approached and it wasn't long before she was running towards us. "Are you two okay?"

Michonne just picked up her katana and walked by Aleah with a nod, leaving Aleah to fuss over me. Normally I didn't like being fussed over, but it felt like I needed it.

"What were you guys thinking?" She asked sceptically. "Especially since you're you-know-what."

A long breath slipped past my lips as I let her lead me back to the prison. "I wasn't thinking... That was the problem."

A look of pity worked its way to her face, but she didn't say anything else. I was grateful she didn't push me on it or make me feel worse about what I had let happen. She knew I was already aware and it wasn't her style to rub it in someone's face.

My eyes had lowered to the ground as we walked through the main courtyard and there was suddenly a pair of dirty, old boots in front of me before I was pulled into someone's arms. I could go the cliche route and say I recognized his scent instantly, but there was far too much sweat, dirt, and blood on both of us for that. I did however, recognize the strong arms that encircled me and I felt at ease almost instantly.

I think it was about time I forgive him. Sure, it had sucked that he left with Merle and it hurt a lot, but having him around, yet not with me hurt even more. I just hadn't seen it until now.

* * *

**Footnote:**

I'm just gonna let this chapter speak for it's self . Hopefully this one and the next few don't piss anyone off lol


	24. Confrontation

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 23 - Confrontation**

* * *

I didn't remember much after Daryl hugged me. My mind seemed to just shut off and I ended up followed him to wherever he wanted. When I finally snapped out of it, I realized that we were in our cell. I was going to stop calling it mine because despite everything that had happened, I was happier when it belonged to both of us. Hopefully the feeling would come with it as well. Though, the air still felt a little tense.

He was tiptoeing, so to speak, as he helped remove the various pieces of gear I had on. It was rare to see him that cautious of doing something wrong and my silence probably didn't help matters. It was odd though, because he also looked angry at the same time. Part of me was expecting him to just yell at me, but he was holding back. He was getting really good at restraining himself in that sense, but I wouldn't blame him if he laid in on hard. In any other situation, I would have chosen to speak up first, but I didn't know what to say. I was still stubborn at heart, so I wouldn't apologize before he did, but I also no longer had any right to yell at him for leaving earlier. I was torn on what to do, so I just stayed quiet.

Once all the riot gear was off though and I was sitting on the edge of the bed in a tank top and shorts, he crouched in front of me, forcing my attention to his eyes.

"I owe you an explanation 'bout what happened." I was surprised not only by the fact that he spoke first, but that it wasn't to yell at me or call me an idiot. It was the opposite really. " I didn't want to leave you, really, but you know how I get... I get angry and I don't think straight," he admitted. I stayed quiet to let him continue, more than grateful the conversation went in this direction. "I was taught that family was everything, and they were better than everyone else because they're blood, but that ain't right.

"When I was out there with Merle, we ran into this family gettin' attacked by some walkers. Merle didn' want anythin' to do with'em, and even tried takin' their stuff when we did help'em. But you, Riley, you would'a helped them without a second thought, this whole group would have... It made me realize that blood doesn' mean nothin' anymore- less than the kind of person you are anyways. Merle wasn't worth losing the group over and he certainly wasn' worth losin' you."

I felt myself relax slightly at his words. Daryl wasn't one to bullshit his way out of things. Everything he was telling me was genuine and I knew I was the only one he'd muster up those words for. His calm tone didn't last all that long though and his expression turned into one of frustration.

"But damn it, Riley, why the hell did you go out there like that? First out in the field and then just now? D'ya got a death wish or somethin'? You can't keep doing that shit."

My gaze dropped shamefully, unable to look him in the eye. It was stupid, I knew it already and I wasn't going to make excuses. Before I realized it though, he pulled me into a hug. I had missed the feeling and I felt myself crumble in his arms. I don't know if it was the stress, or the pregnancy induced hormones, but I couldn't keep my tears from falling and soaking into his shirt.

"That's not fair," he commented as he pulled back. "How am I supposed to be mad at you if you're crying like that?"

A small smile tugged on my lips and I wiped my face with the palm of my hand. "Sorry... you can still yell at me if you want."

He laughed at my statement and shook his head. "I'm not gon'na yell at you. Just don't do somethin' stupid like that again."

I gave him a nod, watching as his expression starting to look more unsure of something.

"Uh... There was somethin' else I wanted to talk about. Back on the road, Merle also said that you had one of those, uh, pregnancy tests with you..."

My body tensed at first, my earlier worries surfacing, but then I realized I had nothing to worry about. Daryl came back to me knowing that I could be pregnant. He knew the situation, yet he still came back.

"If it's mi-"

"Of course it's yours," I cut in with a soft chuckle.

If he had any doubts, they were put to rest now and he nodded his understanding. "Then you are?"

I felt his hand slide up my leg, then rest against my stomach. He still looked slightly unnerved by the thought of a baby, so placing my hand over his, I gave him a quick nod.

"I was scared about it at first," I started, "but Aleah seems to think it'll be fine. And now that you're back..."

My last comment really caught his attention and he looked up at me. "I don't really know how to be a dad... Or even take care of a kid, but I promise you I'll be there to do whatever you need me to. Nobody's goin'ta hurt you or the baby." He paused and gave me a look. "As long as you don't go running off."

I bit my lip at the last bit and nodded. I didn't quite agree with the first part though. "I've seen you with Carl and Sophia, even Lil Asskicker, and I think you'd be a great dad."

He stayed quiet for a moment, just blinking as he looked at me. "You ain't serious... The only 'xample of a dad I had was a piece of shit."

"And you're so much better than he was," I clarified. He still looked sceptical, so I continued. "I know you don't see it, but I do. Sophia adores you and Carl's been looking up to you. Plus, I think seeing you with Lil Asskicker made my ovaries explode."

He raised a brow at that last bit, looking rather amused at my admission. "Your ovaries exploded?"

I'm sure my cheeks turned red at that question. "Not literally... You know when you see something that makes you... You know..."

His amused look only intensified and I felt my composure falter. "No, I don't think I do." I was glad the mood was lighter, but now he was just playing with me. "What'd it feel like?"

With a groan and flushed cheeks, I pushed him away playfully. It was nice to have some semblance of how things were before and I just hoped it would stay this way for as long as possible.

* * *

We didn't want to leave the cell the next morning, but with all the commotion, we didn't really have a choice. Plans had been made to bury Tyreese and Axel that day, but by the sounds of it, a lot more was going on.

"We're not leaving."

Rick's voice was the first one we heard, but the others were close behind with their retorts.

"The gates won't hold back another attack."

"We can't stay."

"We can't even go outside."

Everyone seemed to have their own issue with Rick's decision, but I didn't see a good chance for us to leave. Everyone was worried and scared after what happened, but if we left, we would have no defences at all.

"If Rick says we're staying, then we're staying," Glenn cut in. He sounded like the only one on board with him.

"Better to live like rats."

It only took me a second to recognize Merle's voice and then another to find him behind the gates outside the main cell block. Well, at least they didn't let him all the way in.

"And what do you suppose we do then?" Rick spat out. Clearly he was frustrated and I knew he must be stressed out having to deal with all this shit. I would have gone crazy myself if I were in his shoes.

"We should have slipped out last night. Live to fight another day." His voice wasn't as condescending as I would have expected, but the rest of the group wasn't all too pleased with his input. "But I guess we missed that chance. He probably has scouts on every road out of here."

This time, Daryl spoke up. "I ain't scared of him."

His comment worried me a bit. No fear left room for overconfidence and in this world, if you didn't have any fear of what you were fighting people tend to die.

"Well, you should be," Merle continued. "He's got more guns and more people. That 'walkers in the truck' stunt was just a welcome to the neighbourhood. If he takes the high ground here, hell, he could just starve us out if he wanted to."

Even if it was Merle telling us this, I still took it into consideration. We were severely outnumbered and outgunned, so if we wanted to win, we'd have to outsmart them.

The others didn't take too kindly to his input though. Maggie was the first to voice her distaste.

"Let's put him in the other cell block."

While I wouldn't have minded that one bit, I had to agree with Daryl's response.

"No, he's got a point."

That only seemed to anger Maggie even more. "This is all him! He started this!"

"What's the difference of who started it? What are we going to do?" I was surprised that soft spoken Beth chose to speak up like that. She made a good point though and Maggie backed down reluctantly.

"We chose to stay here, so let's deal with that," Aleah added.

The room went silent, the group obviously lacking any ideas. Defence would be our first priority and luckily that was on other people's minds too.

"Daryl and I can get up one of those guard towers and take out half the walkers in the field," I suggested. "It'll give you guys a chance to fix the fence."

"Or use some of the cars to put the bus in place," Michonne added.

I knew there was a major flaw in our plan and Hershel was the first to comment on it. "We can't access the field without burning through our bullets."

"So we're trapped in here," Glenn concluded. I didn't like that he was being so blunt about it, but he was right. "There's barely any food or ammo."

"We've been in this situation before," Aleah piped up. "We'll be fine."

Glenn still wasn't convinced. "That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest."

As soon as the words left his lips, Daryl made a beeline down the stairs and towards Glenn. I was quick to follow behind, ready to stop him before he did anything stupid.

"Man, we gon'na go through this again?" When he got close enough, he stood in front of Glenn. I could tell now that he wasn't going to fight him or threaten him in anyway, but I still placed my hand on his arm to calm him down. "Look, Merle's staying here. He's with us now. Get used to it."

Rick must have underestimated Daryl's restraint because he stepped between them cautiously. It wasn't necessary of him, but Daryl backed off and went back up to the second level anyway.

"Seriously, Rick, I don't think Merle living with us is going to fly," Glenn said quietly.

"I can't kick him out."

That got Glenn even more riled up. "I wouldn't ask you to live with Shane after he tried to kill you."

I wasn't against Glenn on this, but at the same time, I understood how Merle could be of use. "He's got military experience and he's loyal to Daryl."

Glenn's attention snapped to me as I spoke, but he still wasn't happy. "You just want to keep him here so Daryl won't leave."

I forced myself not to react to his accusation and instead, made my way towards the cell gate. "Without both of them, we're screwed. Give that some thought."

He didn't like my response, but he held his tongue long enough for me to get through the gate where Merle was. I needed to talk to him and now was as good of a time as any.

"So nice of you to defend me, Blondie."

The second the name slid past his lips, I turned to him with a glare and jabbed a finger into his chest. "Don't you _ever _call me that."

"Whoa, ho, ho. Touchy are we?"

It was clear he was enjoying this more than he should be, so I chose to ignore him for now. He followed me anyway, so there was no need for me to speak just yet.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you and the others before I joined the group, but I do know what you've done to us in the past few days."

He stayed quiet and listened as I spoke, so I continued.

"You're Daryl's brother and he wants you to stay, so I'll put up with you, but if you go and mess with him or anyone else, I promise you, I'll kill you myself."

I was half expecting him to look at me with amusement on his lips, but he wasn't taking what I said for granted. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I decided it was a good sign, if anything.

"He spoke about you while we were on our own," Merle informed as he sat down on a cot. "Figured he was just imagining things or you was using him. My baby brother with some pretty little blond thing, I didn' believe it at first."

He chuckled to himself and leaned back to get comfy. "He's different than he was b'fore. Smarter, thinks on 'is own. You've done good by him."

My face must have given away my surprise because he laughed again. "I ain't the devil they make me out t'be, you know. Just doing what I got'ta to survive."

I bit my lip, watching him closely to get a read off of him, but it felt like he was being honest.

"So we can both agree to get along for his sake?" I asked after a moment.

He gave a nod. "I can agree with that."

With all that said and done, I turned heel and started walking back to the cell block.

"You remind him how lucky he is to have ya, you hear?"

There was a playful tone to his voice that I couldn't help but smirk at. Maybe Merle wasn't so bad after all. He wasn't fully off the hook just yet and I wasn't going to trust him with anyone's life any time soon, but at least I knew there was hope.

* * *

**Footnote:**

I was worried I might get some flame for having them make up so easily, but in the end, I'm happy with it. It's one of those situations where you and someone else are both mad at each other, but then you realize how much it would suck not having them around.

Oh right,** very important**. There may or may not be chapters next week... it sucks a lot (for me too), but I just wanted to give a heads up. Procrastination, plus not knowing what to write, then getting writer's block, with the addition of my best friend's wedding has put me a few chapters behind . I'll try my best to get the story finished by the 13th, but I don't want to rush and write crappy chapters. I hope everyone understands. Sorry though D:


	25. Day Off

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 25 - Day Off**

* * *

**Warning:**

Slight filler chapter . Don't kill me... There's smut tho~

* * *

With everything that was going on and our front gate busted down, everyone was told to stay in the prison with the exception of watch duty. Rick had pretty much volunteered himself for most of it, so that left the rest of the group with little to nothing to do aside from worrying about what was going to happen. I wasn't about to succumb myself to it though, nor was I in the mood to just sit around, so when Beth asked if I could watch Little Asskicker for a while I was more than happy to say yes. She'd even been fed already and changed so it made my life that much easier.

"Just can't wait, can you?"

Aleah snickered at her own teasing and I sent her a playful glare. I should have figured this was coming.

"Isn't there something you should be doing?" I asked. "Cleaning? Watch duty? Sticking your tongue down Nate's throat?"

The last one earned a deep blush across her cheeks and she returned my earlier glare. "Don't be jealous."

With a snicker, I leaned back against the table and readjusted the baby in my arms. "Jealous of you or him?"

A cocky grin graced her lips as she answered my question as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "Him obviously."

We both fell into a fit of laughter and I was just thankful Lil' Asskicker didn't start crying from being disturbed. If I did end up having this baby, I could only hope that he or she would be this well behaved.

"Alright, so whatever that was wasn't why I came over here," she told me, suddenly looking distracted. "Nathan was supposed to be here too, but I don't know wh-"

"What? You lost me already?" Nate came walking into the room from the door behind Aleah, a smile immediately on her lips. "It's not like I'm moving around that quickly."

True to his words, he was walking with a slight limp, but for the most part, he looked a lot better than before. There was still some bruising, but the swelling had gone down and he wasn't wearing as much gauze and bandage as before.

"I'm just thankful you're moving in general," I teased.

He sent me a grin and stopped at Aleah's side. Now that I took in the situation, it felt like something was up. I have no idea what... But they were up to something.

"Soooo, why was it that you came over here?"

A grin made its way to Aleah's lips. "Because we have something for you."

My brow raised instantly and I could only watch curiously as she whistled. The way she did it was the exact same whistle I used to call Thor, so when he rounded the corner I wasn't surprised. What did surprise me though, was the crossbow strung over his back.

"Happy birthday, Riley."

My eyes widened and I'm sure my jaw was hanging slack. Honestly, I had no idea what month it was, let alone the date, plus the fact that no one celebrated birthdays anymore, so saying I was a little surprised was an understatement. So was saying that the sight of a crossbow got me excited was too.

"How did you- Where did you- Holy crap, you guys are awesome!"

Being careful of the baby, I ran forward and gave each of them a hug. They were both laughing at my surprise and excitement, but I didn't care. I had a new crossbow.

"Where did you find it?"

Aleah took Lil' Asskicker from me, allowing me to walk over to Thor and pick up the crossbow. It was a nice one too. Lightweight, good make, I was in heaven just looking at it.

"It was in one of the supply bags," she finally answered. "It was supposed to be a replacement for Daryl's, but he got one from Woodbury."

I nodded my understanding, then looked up at her curiously. "Where is he anyways? I haven't seen him all morning."

Aleah gave me a shrug, clearly trying to look nonchalant, but I knew she knew something. "Last I heard, he was looking through the warden's office. I believe he had something for you as well."

If I was happy before, I was ecstatic now. "Where's that?"

My excitement was pretty transparent, but neither chose to tease me about it. "Down that hall. Keep going until you see a door that says 'warden's office'."

My mouth twitched to give her a witty response related to her obvious instructions, but before I knew it, I was out the door and around the corner. With all the shit that's been happening, I was more than eager to keep the good things happening. Receiving something from Daryl was definitely something good.

Finally reaching the room, I stepped in, finding Daryl searching through some drawers. As soon as he noticed me, he gave me his full attention. The only part that concerned me was the uneasy look on his face.

"So, what'cha doing in here?" I asked curiously.

I placed the crossbow against the wall by the door and walked over to him. He was still against the back wall, so I chose to stop halfway and sit on the desk. He followed almost instantly and positioned himself between my legs. One of his hands moved to my waist, but I couldn't help but notice that his other one was in his pocket, fiddling with something.

"Thought I could find somethin' useful in here," he answered. "Found a pistol, but other than that, s'just paperwork."

I nodded, my attention moving to his lips as he finished talking. He seemed to catch my train of thought and was quick to kiss me. He still only had one hand on me, so very reluctantly, I parted from his lips and gave him a questioning look. It only made him look flustered though.

"Are you alright, Daryl?"

He looked away for a moment, then back to me with a deep breath. "Aleah told me it was your birthday today, so I wanted to get you something..."

I stayed quiet as he spoke, letting my hands run along the back of his head, hoping to make him more comfortable. It seemed to help, because he continued.

"Ain't that big on marriages and from what she told me, you're not either..."

My eyes widened at the implication and my body froze. How the hell had I gotten Daryl Dixon to think about getting married? I mean, yeah, Aleah was right that I wasn't exactly a fan of getting married for myself, but just the fact that he had considered it _and _brought it up with Aleah was surprising in and of itself.

My shocked look didn't seem to help his nerves and he opened his mouth and closed it a few times, not knowing how to continue. I wouldn't tell him how adorable it was, worried that he might shut down completely.

When I finally got my own composure together, I leaned forward once more and gave him a quick kiss. When we parted this time, he released a long breath and held out an opened hand to me, a silver ring sitting on his palm.

"Never felt the need to buy any girl jewelry before, not even my ma," he explained. "Not like I bought this either, but uh... Went looking for it for you. Probably won't fit either... But, uh... Figured you deserved somethin' nice..."

A huge smile pulled on my lips as I nearly tackled him from my sitting position. He didn't fall over of course, being as strong as he was, and he held me closely.

"Thank you Daryl, I love it."

He finally seemed to calm down at my words and he breathed a sigh of relief. Taking my hand, he put the ring on my finger. It was a little bit loose, but thankfully, it wasn't going to fall off.

"I know I've messed up once or twice-" He paused, noticing the look I was giving him and he returned it with a playful glare. "Coming from the woman who runs into hordes of geeks on her own." My look stayed put and I jabbed him in the side lightly, drawing a chuckle from his lips. "Alright, alright, a bunch of times, but I promise I won't leave you again." His mood dropped at the last bit and he lowered his gaze to his hands. "My word probably means nothin' anymore though..."

I wanted so badly to ease his doubts and make him feel better, but I wasn't going to say 'atleast you came back'. Sure, I was happy he did, but leaving in the first place hurt me too much.

Slipping my hand from his, I brought it to his cheek and guided his face up to look at me. "Your word means everything to me and if you say you won't leave, then I know you'll do your best to follow through with it."

The way he was looking at me, I could only describe it as awe. It only lasted for a few seconds though, before he leaned forward and kissed me. It wasn't like any of our regular kisses though. Instead, it was a lot more passionate. More like when I had first made it into the prison. There were no complaints on my end though and I returned the kiss without a second thought.

I don't know what it was about him, but whenever he kissed me like this, I couldn't help but want more- need more. My body was craving him and the way he was pressed up between my legs only made the craving stronger- impossible to ignore.

"Guess we're adding- warden's office- to our list," I got out between kisses.

His lips curled up into a smirk. "Aleah said you wouldn' want sex during the first trimeter or whatever."

I felt his hands run along my sides under my shirt and his lips traveled to my neck, but I couldn't help but raise a brow at his statement. "Trimester...?"

His lips found a certain spot on my skin and a moan escaped my lips. "Mmm, yeah, that."

It was getting hard to focus, so I just took what he said and didn't question it. Aleah knew more about this kind of stuff than I did anyways. I'm just glad I still had my sex drive.

"Well, clearly that isn't the case..."

His lips returned to mine once more, distracting me as he unclasped my bra from under my shirt. It wasn't long after that he parted to tug off my shirt, then the bra with ease, his mouth quickly claiming a nipple. God, this man could work wonders with his lips.

I couldn't help my hips from rocking up against him, this time the moan coming from him. He didn't change his tactics though and continued taking his time drawing out various sounds of pleasure from me.

I was growing impatient though and within the limited space between us, I started unbuttoning his shirt. We didn't have to separate for me to slip off his vest and shirt though, so he took full advantage, making it nearly impossible for me to focus on the task. Once I got it off though, I let my hands roam free, tracing the contours of his muscles and scars. It wasn't until I reached the thin trail of hair over his lower abdomen that he lifted his mouth from my chest and pushed me back onto the desk with a groan.

"Not yet..." he whispered huskily. "You'll have to beg for it first..."

I felt a violent shiver course through me at his tone and I bit my lip as he looked down at me hungrily. Just from that look alone, I felt my legs get weak and my core burned for him. Chances were, there was going to be a _lot _of begging.

A smirk graced his lips and he reached down to undo my belt and jeans. I had lowered a hand to help him, but he quickly caught it and pinned it to my side. The look he gave me told me to stay put and I couldn't help but submit as he pulled my jeans down my legs, taking my panties with them.

I felt myself squirm as he looked down at me before lowering himself and blowing air directly on my pussy. I gasped instantly, feeling a mixture of both shock and pleasure, but I didn't get to dwell on it. Anything after that was lost by the feeling of his finger pushing inside me. I nearly cried out when his tongue joined in on my clit and he started pumping his finger in and out of my slick entrance.

My hips rocked towards him, but he held me down with his free hand and continued finger fucking me as he sucked and licked at my clit. My moans were getting louder and more frequent and when his finger starting hitting my g spot, I had to bite down on my arm as my body shook with an orgasm.

He didn't stop what he was doing, continuing to pleasure me through my orgasm before my body went lax against the desk.

"Oh god... Daryl..."

Looking past my heaving chest, I caught his eyes with my own as he licked his lips.

"Daryl... Please..."

He gave me a sly smirk and ran his hands along my thighs slowly. "Please what?"

The sound that left my lips could only be described as a whimper. "You know what..."

His hands got painfully close to where I wanted them, but he would stop and bring them back down my legs.

"I don't think I do."

I bit my lip, fully aware of what game he was playing, but I wasn't going to play along that easily. He must have understood that because his hands left my legs and moved to remove his pants and briefs. I figured he was going to give in, but instead he just rubbed his hard cock over my clit and along my soaked pussy.

The contact was just enough to rile me up, but not enough for what I wanted.

"Tell me what you want, Riley..."

I moaned at the sensation, but it wasn't enough. I wanted more. I _needed _more.

"Just fuck me, Daryl. Please!"

A smirk was instantly on his lips and with a quick thrust, his cock was inside me, his hips pushing to meet mine and drawing a moan from both of us. I barely had a second before he was thrusting into me with need. Both of his hands were on my waist, pulling me towards him with every thrust. I could feel the coil of pleasure building up once more as he continued his onslaught. He was moving fast and hard as he fucked me, only slowing down for a moment to collect himself.

When he started again, I felt this thumb rubbing against my clit and my walls tightened around him. He groaned loudly and drove his cock into me without restraint.

"Ohhh- Daryl, I'm gonna cu- ahhhh."

The next orgasm was three times as good as the first one and lasted even longer as he kept fucking me. As I neared the end, his own orgasm finally hit him and he moaned out my name before letting his body rest over top of me.

I could feel my eyes already drooping as I tried to catch my breath. My legs felt like jello too and I knew I wasn't moving anywhere anytime soon, but I was more than content with laying here with him.

With everything that was going on, I had a feeling it was going to be the last time we could for a while.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Oh filler chapters, you so great. With everything that was happening, I just wanted a happy, kinda fluffy, smutty chapter where no one dies.

Same deal for next week though, pretty sure Monday's chapter is 100% going to happen, but after that it's iffy.


	26. The Lost Return

**Shadows of the Forgotten **

**Chapter 26 - The Lost Return**

* * *

It wasn't very often that we could claim we were bored, but really, I was bored. Guard duty consisted of staying up on the fenced in overhang, watching the tree line for hours. At some point, a pair of walkers stumbled into each other and one fell, and there was one that spontaneously broke a leg as it was walking, but other than that, it was boring as hell. I didn't slack off or anything though. Doing that could cost us our lives and that's the last thing I'd want to do.

"Anything new?"

With a sigh, I turned to Nate and shook my head. "Was thinking about betting on walker fights, but other than that, nadda."

Nate had learned not to question my quirky comments, so with a small chuckle, he leaned against the wall. "Want me to take over?"

I gave him a shrug, turning my attention back to the treeline. "Might as well keep each other company. At least if we go insane from boredom, we'll go together."

I heard him snicker at my comment. "Aww, look at you. Looking on the bright side. I'm so proud."

"Careful, Nate, or I'll have to break that pretty little face of yours again."

I turned to him, just in time to see him fake a look of shock, but it only lasted a second before his brows furrowed. I could tell he was looking past me, so I followed suit, spotting some odd movement along the treeline. It looked to be a walker, but the way it was moving put me on high alert. Raising my rifle, I looked through the scope. There was definitely a walker there, but what concerned me was that someone was behind it. Someone living.

"There's someone behind the walker..."

I heard Nate step away from the wall, but I kept my eyes trained on the walker, hoping to get a glimpse of who was behind it.

"I'll go tell Ri-"

Before he could even finish, the walker stumbled to the side, revealing blond hair, held up in a ponytail. To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

"It's Andrea..."

Nate took a second to process what I was saying. "The Andrea that was in your group?"

I gave a quick nod and made a beeline for the door. "Keep watch."

I didn't wait for an answer, just kept on making my way through the prison. I had to be quick though. For one, Andrea was making her way through a field full of walkers, and two, this could be a trap sent from Woodbury and we needed to be ready.

"Rick? Rick!" I nearly skidded around the corner, all eyes turning to me instantly.

"Riley, what's wrong?" Rick was the one who asked, but I'm sure everyone was thinking the same thing. Daryl even got up and walked to me.

"Andrea's here, she's crossing the field."

I saw their eyes widen as mine had, but Rick was quick to jump into action. "Was there anyone else?" I shook my head quickly and he continued. "Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Aleah, and Riley, grab your guns and meet me at the front. Stay behind cover just in case."

He received nods from the five of us as we moved to complete our task. Before we left though, I heard Rick call on Merle and tell him to join us. This would be his chance to redeem himself. It wouldn't be full redemption, but it would show that he at least wanted to be here on our side.

When we made it to the front, each of us took a position behind a wall or an old vehicle we had set up. Rick was quick to join us and once Nate sent us the thumbs up, we started progressing forward. Rick was first, followed by Daryl and Glenn, then Merle. They moved from cover to cover, keeping their guns up at all times.

"Are you alone?" Rick called out.

Andrea was close to the gate now and some of the walkers around her were starting to take notice of her. I wasn't sure if she heard him or not, or was too distracted by the walkers, but she didn't answer the question.

"Open the gate, Rick," she called. "It's me."

I could tell she was starting to panic a bit and Rick wasn't quite budging just yet.

"Rick, please."

He was clearly concerned about being ambushed or tricked, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. When Andrea was with us she and I had gotten along really well and I had missed her. I wasn't going to let her get killed right there, so after making eye contact with Nate, I ran forward and started opening the gate. If I had him watching my back, I wasn't worried about getting caught off guard.

Daryl was quick to lend me a hand and it was only a moment later that Andrea was through the gate. We closed it behind her within a moment, but when we turned around, Rick and Merle had Andrea at gunpoint on her knees.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" I demanded, moving towards them.

Rick quickly pat her down, making sure to take her weapons and bag, then marched towards me angrily. "_Us_? What were _you _thinking running up like that?"

I had to take a few steps back to keep him from ramming into me. I could tell he was genuinely angry with what I did, but I didn't regret it. Whether or not she'd been away from us since the farm, she was still part of our family. I trusted her and I wasn't going to alienate her without good reason.

I opened my mouth to argue, but Daryl stepped up to my side. "Just let it go, both of you. It's done."

I physically recoiled from the glare Rick was sending me, but he finally turned and walked towards the prison. An uncomfortable silence filled the group and when I finally recovered I walked over to Andrea and helped her up.

"Welcome back."

She looked pretty concerned about what just happened, but she didn't say anything about it, just nodded her thanks. Once, she was up, everyone started filing back into the prison. Daryl and I stayed at her side as we walked behind the others, but no one said anything at first. The tension was high and I hated it.

"Did you come alone?" I asked her quietly. "Weren't there walkers everywhere?"

She gave me a small nod, keeping her gaze forward as we walked. When she spoke up, she kept we voice low and leaned towards me. "I snuck out of Woodbury when I found out what happened. No one knows I left."

I nodded my understanding, but Daryl continued. "You snuck out? They don't let people leave?"

"I... I don't know... They let Michonne go, but he said if I left I should stay here." Her voice was unsure, but I took what she was telling me at face value.

As we reached the main cell block where the others were, she opened her mouth to continue, this time louder to include the whole group. "What happened back there? Why did you guys fire at them?"

Rick still looked beyond pissed off, yet it was Carol that replied first. "They attacked us. Put a man in our guard tower and started shooting at us first."

A few nods were shared and Andrea slowly started to accept what had truly happened. In all honesty, it looked as if she already had her suspicions, but she just needed them confirmed.

"Then I'm glad I left him then."

I sent her a smile, glad she was still on our side, but as she looked around the room, a frown formed on her lips. "Where's everyone else...? Dale, Allen, Lori...?"

I saw her gaze fall on to Little Asskicker as Aleah answered. "They didn't make it."

"I'm so sorry..."

The group was quiet, but when Andrea went to give her condolences to Rick, he raised a hand to stop her. "I'm glad you're okay, Andrea, and it's nice to see you again, but knowing that you were living in Woodbury has me concerned."

She lowered her head shamefully. "I hadn't seen what kind of man he is." When she raised her head, her eyes fell on Michonne. "I'm so sorry, I should have listened."

Michonne didn't offer much of a response, just nodded as Nate walked into the room. I was glad he chose to come when he did. If anyone was able to back up Andrea it would be him.

"The problem isn't living there," Nate commented. "It's if you follow him."

With the statement coming from Nate, Rick seemed to accept it.

"The Governor wouldn't let you walk though. How are we supposed to know you're not just spying or distracting us?"

It was quiet as we waited for her answer, but she looked unsure. "There's no real way for you to know..."

By this point it was up to Rick for the final say. Going by the last few times we've been in this situation, it could go either way. It was Andrea though. She was family and that should count for something, right?

"Do you plan on staying here?" Rick asked after a minute.

She still looked unsure of herself as she answered. "I'd love to stay if you would let me. All I know right now is that I'm not going back to Woodbury."

After a pause, Rick finally nodded his head. "For now, stay insight of one of us at all times."

A smile lit her face instantly. "Thank you, Rick."

He gave her a quick nod, then went off on his own, probably to take over watch duty. Everyone else followed suit, finding various things to do around the prison. I knew Glenn and Nate were working on some sort of defense plan for if and when the Governor attacked again. I chose to stay clear of any and all of that after what had happened to Tyreese during the last plan I had agreed to. I was feeling a bit of survivor's guilt and I wouldn't be one of the people to create a plan that put people in danger.

As I was watching the others, I felt Daryl's arms snake around my waist and pull me against his chest. "How are you feelin'?"

I turned in his arms and cuddled in closer to him. "Even better now."

A smirk tugged on his lips and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. I was in a pretty good mood now that Andrea was back and of course being held by Daryl like this was always an added bonus.

"Riley, can you lend me a hand?" Carol called.

I didn't really want to move, but very reluctantly I took a step back from him, his lips briefly finding my own before I wandered off to help Carol out.

"You two have been together for that long?"

Daryl had been watching Riley walk away, but when Andrea spoke up he finally moved his gaze. He knew Riley saw Andrea as a friend, but he hadn't exactly seen eye to eye with her all the time. She was usually the one telling Riley to steer clear of him, plus the fact that she shot him at one point.

"We got separated for seven months after we left Hershel's farm," Daryl finally replied.

He took a seat at one of the tables, the blond doing the same. "And then after that?"

His brows furrowed as he looked at her, skepticism and slight annoyance etched into his features. "Why do you care? Not goin'ta try to tell her to avoid me again, are ya?"

She quickly shook her head, slight panic to her voice. "No, that's not it at all." He was watching her curiously, so she continued. "Kind of the opposite really. I wanted to apologize for the things I said about you before. I can tell how much you love her and I was wrong to assume what kind of man you were."

Her statement brought her into a better light for Daryl and now that he thought about it, she did try to help him back in Woodbury. There was just one more thing she'd have to do.

"It isn't me you should be apologizing to."

Andrea knew instantly who he was referring to and she nodded her understanding. "I will first chance I get."

With all that said and done, Daryl stood up to leave. He had made it seem like he didn't care for what Andrea said, but in reality, it meant a lot to hear that she knew she was wrong about him. He knew Riley saw him a thousand times better than what Andrea had claimed before, but with someone on the outside seeing what Riley saw in him, he was glad.

* * *

**Footnote:**

I know a lot of people hate Andrea and while I can agree that she made some questionable decisions, I still like her character. I'm pretty sure she had the most character development in the show and if she made it to season 4, the next step in her storyline was to become a bad ass like in the comics. So, I've decided that for this story, Andrea is going to be a bit more like the comic book version. Why? Because I'm the author and I can :)

The next chapter sin't finished yet... so just a heads up . I also posted that pic I've been talking about. If you search xcas92x on deviantArt, I'm pretty sure all the search results are mine, so you can find my account that way. Or there's a link on my fanfic profile.


	27. Way Out

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 27 - Way Out**

* * *

The next morning, I woke up feeling nauseous. It was a crappy thing to wake up to, but I knew it was something I'd have to deal with more often than not. All I wanted to do was lay in bed, but it wasn't a feeling that could be ignored that easily. My groaning was evident of it.

"What's the matter?"

Burying my face into Daryl's chest, I mumbled out a reply of 'morning sickness', immediately feeling him start rubbing circles on my back.

"Should you go see Hershel or somethin'?"

I knew his intentions were good, but I was never a fan of doctors, let alone one that I lived with. I could see this getting awkward really quickly.

"Should I? Yes. Do I want to? No."

He chuckled at my response. "I never saw a doctor very often, but it wasn' somethin' I enjoyed either."

A smile tugged on my lips, figuring I could get away with not seeing Hershel, but of course, it couldn't be that easy.

"You're gon'na have to go see him though. Don't want anythin' bad happenin' to you or the baby," he told me.

Very reluctantly, I nodded and sat up on the bed. The movement didn't help my stomach much, but I figured some fresh air might help me out. That was my plan and I was sticking to it.

"Can we at least go later in the day?" I asked as he sat up as well. "I want to go outside for a bit."

From the look he sent my way, I quickly corrected my statement. "Behind the barricade we put up."

That seemed to ease his mind and he nodded his acceptance. "Not hungry or anythin'?"

I shook my head slowly and stood up. "I probably wouldn't be able to stomach it right now."

A frown tugged on his lips as he sat up on the edge of the bed. Sure, the nausea sucked, but I didn't want him feeling bad about it or anything either.

"What're you all pouty about?" I asked. I added a bit of playfulness to my tone and sat on his lap.

His hands moved to my hips as I cuddled closer to him, but he was quiet for a few minutes. Something was bothering him and I wanted nothing more than to fix it.

"Talk to me, Daryl."

Looking up at him, I caught his eyes and he finally spoke up. "The baby... D'you want it? I mean... Are you okay with it...? I should'a been more careful before... Sorry..."

My brows furrowed at his admission. "You don't need to apologize, there's no reason for it."

He didn't look convinced in the slightest. "But are you happy with it though? I don't want you to do this because you think you have to."

I didn't know how to answer him at first, but more than that, I was surprised at the fact that he was asking. Keeping quiet was making him more uncertain, so I just started talking, my thoughts forming as a spoke.

"It's not exactly something I would have wanted. I mean, it's pretty dangerous." I could tell it wasn't helping his mood in the least, so I changed my approach. "I'm not unhappy though. I get to have a baby with you. It's our baby and I wouldn't give it up for anything."

He nodded slowly and pulled me against his chest for a hug. I hoped he understood what I was getting at. A baby wasn't exactly in my near future plans, but it wasn't all that terrible. I had no problems with starting a family with Daryl. I may have acted recklessly in the past and made it seem like I didn't care, but I did. It was just hard admit before.

"I love you, Riley."

I felt my heart skip a beat at his words and I held him tighter. It was only the second time I've heard him say it, but it meant so much to me.

"I love you too, Daryl."

When I finally got around to going outside, Rick was out there with Merle. Suffice to say, I didn't stay out there long. Once my stomach settled, I headed back inside to hopefully get some food. If I was lucky, it would stay down and if I wasn't- well, you get the picture.

"Morning, Riley."

Andrea was the first to greet me and I'm sure her good mood was due to the fact that she finally had someone who, for all extensive purposes, wasn't acting hostile towards her. The group had pretty much accepted that she was staying here now, but other than a small handful of us, they were still hesitant to fully welcome her back. It was like being let into the group for the first time- you're in the group, but you're not _really _accepted. I remembered the feeling and I wasn't willing to contribute to making Andrea feel that way.

Even though I saw Daryl sitting at another table with Glenn and Nate, I took a seat at Andrea's and returned her greeting.

"It's nice to at least have someone to talk to," she chuckled. "But I guess I can understand a bit of hostility."

I gave her a nod and a small smile. I didn't blame her for what happened, but I could understand why some people connected her to what Woodbury and the Governor did.

"They'll get over it eventually," I shrugged. "So how's your shot? You've had over eight months to practice. After having a teacher like me, you should be a pro."

A grin worked it's way to her lips. "I wouldn't necessarily say 'pro', but I've got a pretty mean shot."

I hadn't seen her in action just yet, so I just nodded my acceptance. If she could use a rifle well then she'd be a huge asset to the group. No one's really taken on the role of sniper yet and it was a pretty useful position to have.

"I've actually been meaning to tell you something, Riley."

My brow raised curiously, so she continued.

"When we were back at the farm- and even before that, I'm sorry for the things I said about Daryl. I should have just stayed out of it,"

I had almost forgotten about all that, but now that she mentioned it _and _apologized, I couldn't help but be glad she saw that she had been wrong.

"Thanks for telling me that. I'm sure Daryl would be happy to hear as well."

I was hoping she'd understand my hint, but she just nodded and glanced over at him for a second. "I talked to him yesterday. First thing he said was that I should tell you." Her face scrunched up playfully. "You two are disgustingly cute."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at her comment. Never had I heard anyone say that about any relationship I've been in, let alone one with Daryl Dixon. She'd only been here for a day, yet she had come to that conclusion.

"If you want to see disgustingly cute, you should go watch Glenn and Maggie," I laughed. "Or Carl and Sophia. They're adorable."

Andrea looked like she was going to reply when Rick suddenly walked into the room, looking pointedly at the three males at the other table.

"Someone's coming toward the gates. I need you three up there now," Rick instructed.

Daryl, Nate, and Glenn quickly got up and grabbed their weapons, but when I stood up, Rick raised a hand dismissively.

"It's only one female at the moment," he commented. "Stay here until further notice."

I gave a nod, but it went unnoticed as the four guys left the room. I didn't bother complaining or questioning Rick, instead, I just sat down and shared a curious look with Andrea. Chances were, it was someone from Woodbury, but why would a female come to the prison? Andrea didn't seem to know either.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

It wasn't until later in the day that Rick gathered a handful of people to discuss something. Normally, I was allowed in these conversations, but this time, I wasn't. I couldn't help but feel left out and to be honest, it hurt. I was usually one of Rick's go to people, but apparently he didn't see it that way anymore. It put me in a sour mood and I wasn't sure if I could blame my hormones for that either.

I hadn't even noticed Daryl walk into our cell until a shirt was thrown at me. To say the least, I was surprised and had jumped instantly. He didn't laugh or anything though, instead, he looked more concerned.

"You okay? You don't normally space out like that."

As he walked over and sat beside me, I folded his shirt and placed it on the nearby table. At least I could be a good 'house wife' since I wasn't to be involved in protecting the group anymore. I groaned at the thought.

"Does Rick know I'm pregnant?"

Daryl shrugged before laying down behind me on the bed. "I haven't said anythin', so I don't think he does."

I figured that would be his answer, so turning to face him, the next question followed. "Then why wasn't I part of that meeting earlier?"

It was really bugging me and I couldn't just let it go. I don't want to be one of the women that stay behind while the others fight to defend us. I want to be able to pull my weight while I still can.

"Michonne wasn't there either," he pointed out.

I groaned and poked him in the side. "But this isn't about Michonne."

The look Daryl sent me told me I was wrong. "The woman that came here- Karen or somethin', brought a message from the Governor. Said if we brought him Michonne by noon tomorrow, he'd back off an' leave us alone."

I wasn't surprised about the fact that the Governor offered the deal, but more about the fact that Rick had discussed it with the group- or some of us anyway. It meant that he was considering it though and that's what took me by surprise.

"Did you guys come to a decision?"

I took a moment to lay down beside him and rest my head on his chest. It was a comfortable position for both of us and it helped keep us relaxed during conversations like this. We were essentially discussing the possibility of handing Michonne over to be killed, just to save our own asses. I wasn't okay with it and I was hoping the others wouldn't be as well.

"We didn't really decide, but I don't think Rick will go through with it," Daryl answered after a minute. "It would save us a lot of effort if we did though-"

"-but she's one of us now," I finished for him.

I was hoping that was the direction his sentence was going in, so I was glad when he nodded his agreement.

"Even if we did, that bastard would still come after us," Daryl added. "And we'd be one man short to boot."

This time, it was my turn to nod. "Let's just hope Rick's thinking with a level head..."

* * *

**Footnote:**

So, I've decided to just post chapters as I write them... like a normal fanfic lol so add this story to your watch list if you haven't :P

Hmm, if you haven't seen my pics for this story, check out my deviantArt account, xcas92x

Annnnddddddd speaking of pics, I was thinking of doing a 'fan art contest' of sorts. If you win you get an oc in the sequel? Or you can help me come up with a subplot? I dunno yet, just an idea to get the readers more involved. If you're interested let me know :)

.

.

ALSO season 4... holy sheeeeett.


	28. Double-Edged Sword

**Shadows of the Forgotten **

**Chapter 28 - Double-Edged Sword**

* * *

Whoever decided to call it 'morning sickness' clearly wasn't the one experiencing it at the time. For one, it didn't just happen during the morning. Oh no, it happened whenever it damn well pleased to. For someone who hasn't told anyone they were pregnant yet, it was a big pain in the ass to have to find reasons to be excused from whatever they were doing during various hours of the day.

When it happens in the morning, like it's said to, I don't mind it too much. Sure, I might whine about it at first, but there's nothing productive to be doing at that time. All that it prevents me from doing in the morning is sleeping, which is the case right now.

Daryl was an early bird and the fact that he was still sleeping meant it was really early. No one else would be up at this time, so it's not like I could go find some way to distract myself- if that was even possible in the first place. All I could really do was get some water and hope it would help.

It was worth a shot anyway, so as carefully as I could, I pried myself from Daryl's arms and slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. The altitude change was one of the worst parts, but the heightened nausea didn't last too long.

As I stood up, I heard Daryl shifting on the bed, signaling that I had woken him up. It wasn't often that I woke up first, but I guess he's very aware of my presence, or lack there of, when he's asleep.

"Sorry for waking you, I was just going to get some water."

He watched me with groggy eyes and I could tell he wasn't ready to get up just yet. Even with that being the case though, he still made a move to sit up. "S'ok. I'll come with you."

I was quick to dismiss his offer and put a hand against his chest to keep him from getting up. "It's fine, Daryl. Just get some sleep, okay?"

He didn't protest or complain, just let me push him back onto the bed before kissing him on the forehead. He fell asleep almost instantly, so I took the opportunity to quietly leave the room.

There wasn't much natural light in the main cell block at this time of the morning, so I brought a flashlight with me. I kept it off as I passed through the cells people were sleeping in though and didn't intend on turning it on until I was sure the light wouldn't wake anyone up.

It didn't take long before I realized that my choice was a mistake as a pair of arms grabbed me and pressed me against a wall. There was a hand over my mouth and a forearm against my chest so any resistance I tried to make left me deprived of oxygen briefly. I took a swing at the person, hitting them in the gut, but whoever it was just grunted and tightened their hold on me. All I could do now was wait and pray I could find a way out of this.

"Easy there, Princess, I don't want hurt you."

I recognized the voice as Merle's instantly and I set a glare towards the dark figure in front of me. That's pretty much all I could do at the moment.

"Now, you're probably wonderin' why I'm doin' this," he continued.

I knew he couldn't see it, but my eyes rolled at his statement. That's when I heard someone else in the room though. What the hell was going on?

"You see, Rick's gon'na pussy out of the offer the Governor made, so I'm gon'na do you and my brother a favour."

I knew where this was going now and I wasn't happy about it one bit. I tried shaking my head or something to tell him not to, but of course he wasn't going to listen to me.

"You don't want me to do this now, I know, but you'll thank me later," he decided. "You can't have my brother's baby if you got'ta fight the Governor."

I wasn't on board with his plan and the second he let me go I was going to do anything in my power to stop him. Merle's intentions were in the right place, but he was going about this all the wrong way. It wasn't going to stop the Governor, just get him and Michonne killed. I wish I could find a way to tell him, but he suddenly covered my nose and mouth completely, leaving me with no air.

"I know you won't cooperate, so you're leavin' me with no choice here, Princess."

I swung my arms at him, but it only made him hold onto me tighter. I could feel myself getting light headed and panic ran through my body, but there was nothing I could do. The last thing I remembered was the burning sensation in my lungs before darkness consumed me.

So much for stopping him.

* * *

Waking up with Riley not curled against his side put a frown on Daryl's lips. He couldn't remember a morning where she had woken up first and it wasn't something he wanted to get used to. It was almost a morning routine for him to wake up and watch her sleep for a little while, more than content to watch how calm and peaceful she was. He'd gotten so used to it now that he'd forgotten how it felt to wake to an empty bed.

He vaguely remembered her waking up to get some water, but after that was just blank. She should have come back by now though and it put his nerves on end. Throwing a shirt on and grabbing his things, he walked out of the cell and towards the deemed 'kitchen area'. Carol and Hershel were sitting there talking, but he caught their attention as he approached.

"Have either of you seen Riley?"

They both exchanged a look for a moment, before shaking their heads.

"I would have thought she was still in bed," Carol answered. "We've been up for a while, but we haven't seen her yet."

A sinking feeling worked its way to Daryl's gut and he nodded a quick thanks before taking off out of the cell block. If she wasn't in their cell and Carol or Hershel hadn't seen her then something was up. Something Daryl knew he wasn't going to like.

"Riley? Are you over here?"

His voice echoed through the hall as he started poking his head into various rooms. Each one was empty and for each one he passed, panic started to set in his mind.

"Riley?!"

His movements started becoming frantic as he searched, but the sound of chains suddenly caught his attention. Without a second thought, he sprinted towards the sound, his ears leading him to the maintenance room. As soon as he turned the corner, his eyes fell on Riley, who was laying, chained to a shelving unit. It only took a second for him to be crouched at her side and removing the old rag from her mouth. She looked to be slowly coming to, her eyes heavy and her attention not completely focused.

Whoever did this was going to have hell to pay for.

"Daryl...?"

"I'm here. You're fine," he reassured as he lifted me into a sitting position. "Who did this to you?"

I could tell he was trying to keep his tone even, but I could still hear the slight growl in his voice. I wanted to answer him, but my head was still swimming and it was hard to focus. I tried my best to compose myself though and he seemed to understand that I was having difficult time. As my thoughts started to form, I saw him get up to grab fence cutters from across the room. Well, at least Merle wasn't a total dick about what he did-

Everything seemed to click when I thought of Merle and my attention darted to Daryl anxiously.

"Merle has Michonne. He's going to take her to the Governor," I threw out quickly.

Daryl's body tensed at the mention of his brother and his eyes glazed over as if he were in deep thought. Maybe he was trying to figure out what I had said in a hurry, but my bet was that he didn't want to accept that Merle was behind this. His brain was probably searching for a way that left Merle innocent, but I couldn't think of one way around it.

When Daryl finally snapped out of it, he cut the chains off my wrists and pulled me against his chest.

"I'm gon'na go after him," he informed, his breath warm against my ear. "I have to stop him an' bring him back here so I can kick his sorry ass for hurtin' you."

I could hear the anger in his voice and as much as I hated the fact that Merle had gone through with this plan of his, I didn't want Daryl hating his brother.

"He said he was doing it for us, to get the Governor to leave us alone," I told him quietly. By no means was I defending him, but I wanted Daryl to know that at least Merle's heart was in the right place. "But giving up a friend isn't the way to do it."

Daryl nodded and pulled back, his gaze hard on me. "I'll stop him, but when I get back, I'm gon'na build you a padded room or somethin'. It's like you go lookin' for trouble ev'ry time you can."

I felt my cheeks heat up and I lowered my eyes shamefully. "Sorry... I don't mean to.. I swear."

He sighed and pulled me back into his arms. "I know, it just drives me crazy."

I nodded into his chest. "I guess I'll be the one worrying this time."

His chest rumbled with a small laugh and he pressed a kiss to the side of my head. "But'chu know that I always come back."

As much as I wanted to defend my need for worry, he wasn't wrong. Daryl was strong and smart, and he knew what he was doing. I didn't need to worry about him being okay or coming back in one piece, but it was times like these that I couldn't help it. I'd be getting a taste of what I've been putting Daryl through for the past week and while it was a way for me to learn to smarten up, it wasn't a good way to do it. I'd rather have Daryl yell at me for a few hours- days even, for being reckless than to have him go off on his own, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. Daryl had his mind set on going and I wouldn't be the one to get in the way of him rescuing his brother.

"Good luck, Daryl."

He moved back and gave me a determined look. "I'll be back before you know it, just try to stay out of trouble."

I sent him a playful glare as he stood up and walked out the door. I had faith that it wasn't going to be the last I'd ever see of him, but I still had my concerns. It was going to feel like forever, but I would bear it and wait for him to get back.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Come on brain, work, we need a foot note . Oh! Does anyone have something they want happen within the next few chapters? I'm up for suggestions :D

Hmm, there was something else... Oh, the fan art thing. That's still an opportunity if anyone wants. You could have the chance to be a part of the sequel in some way or another. Let me know if you're interested.


	29. Breaking Point

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 29 - Breaking Point**

* * *

The hours spent waiting for Daryl to come back started feeling like days and I was starting to lose my cool. I've said it in the past and I still believe it; because Daryl knows how to track and defend himself, if he wasn't back within a reasonable amount of time, something was wrong. I couldn't keep my mind from coming up with various scenarios, some good while others put a pit in my stomach.

I was currently pacing the length of the cell block and I would have continued if I didn't walk into someone.

"Whoa, lady, watch where you're going."

I wished so badly that Nate's teasing would help my mood, but I couldn't even crack a forced smile. He was quick to take notice and he ruffled my hair playfully.

"He'll be back soon," Nate reassured. "I've known him for less time, but I still know that he can handle his own."

I nodded slowly, letting his comment ease my nerves. Other than a select few of the group, no one knew about what had happened with Merle and Michonne, so the others were slightly confused by my pacing. I'm sure they noticed that Daryl wasn't around either, so I just hoped they didn't think I was this anxious anytime he wasn't in the same room as me.

"Come sit down, Riley, he'll be back before you know it."

I let Nate lead me over to one of the tables before sitting down with him beside me. I wasn't about to miss out on having him distract me, so I stayed quiet and waited for him to say something. Unfortunately, it was Rick who spoke up first, his face looking grim and uncertain.

"The woman that came to the prison yesterday, Karen, she gave me a message from the Governor." Rick paused to make sure everyone was listening before he continued. "He wanted Michonne and in exchange, he'd leave us alone. I was going to do it for the greater good, but when I gave it some thought, I realized something. We are the greater good. All of us."

Most of the group looked surprised by what he was saying, while the others looked on stoicly.

"Merle took Michonne to fulfill the deal though and Daryl went to stop him... I don't know if he has or not, but I know I made a mistake in not telling everyone. What I said after we left the farm, it can't be like that anymore. I can't decide what we're going to do. It's up to you how you live and how you die."

I wasn't around at the time to know what he said after leaving the farm, but I could appreciate where he was coming from. Each of us held different values on different people and things, and it wasn't fair to tell someone they had to risk their lives for something they didn't want to, or to deny someone from saving something they cared for.

"Things are going to be different now," Rick continued. "If we want to stay, we stay. If we want to leave, we leave. But we decide together."

A few nods were shared before Aleah stood up to address the group. "I've come to like it here, and I think we could make the best out of the prison. I'd be willing to fight for it."

Nate was the next to speak up, but it didn't surprise me. "Count me in."

I wasn't sure how much help I could be, but I raised a hand willingly. "I'm game."

Just like before, nods were shared, signalling everyone's compliance. It felt like we were taking a big step towards building a real community and I'm sure the others felt the same way. We weren't just doing as we were told. Instead, we we're working together as a group and defending the people we cared about.

"We need to come up with a plan for when he attacks," Glenn addressed.

"We could station people in the guard towers," Carol suggested, but Nate was quick to shake his head.

"Those would be the first things targeted. We need to set up an ambush."

Glenn thought it over for a moment before nodding. "It's a good way to turn the tables."

Silence elapsed over the group as everyone though of ideas to make this plan work. I had one in mind, but after what I played a part in earlier in the week, I wasn't all that confident. I'd have to get over it at some point though. Plus, if I suggested anything stupid at this point, the rest of the group could just shoot it down.

"What if we made it seem like we abandoned the prison?" I suggested. "Get their guards down, then go on the offensive."

Glenn and Rick shared a look as they thought it over and to my relief, they nodded.

"We'll get everything packed up and in a vehicle a little ways away," Rick added. "Hershel and Beth, could you take Carl, Judith, and Sophia with you in the car? I'd feel a lot better if they were safely away from the fighting."

Both Hershel and Beth agreed without a second thought, but my mind was telling me to speak up.

"The rest of us will hide in the prison and ambush them when they get inside-"

Rick was on a roll with this plan, but I finally forced myself to speak up. It was careless of me to act recklessly before and weither I wanted to admit it or not, I had to start sitting things like this out. I had a responsibility to keep this baby alive and if Daryl was so devoted to keeping me and the baby safe, then I had to be too.

"Rick, I can't help out on this one..."

My voice was a bit shaky and I could feel my nerves begging me to shut up. It wasn't something I saw being brought up in a casual conversation, but it needed to be put out in the open. As much as I didn't want people to start treating me differently, they needed to know.

"I, uh... I'm pregnant..."

I could see the surprise on his face along with a few others. I wasn't sure how he'd take it, considering what had happened to Lori and how that affected him, so I just stayed quiet and waited for him to say something. At first, he opened his mouth and closed it, then nodded his understanding. When he finally pulled himself together and thought it through, he composed himself.

"You'll go with Hershel and Beth then. It'll be safer that way."

"Thanks, Rick."

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders and I breathed a sigh of relief. I would have never guessed telling the group that I was pregnant would be so difficult, but now that I had, it took a lot of pressure off me and probably even Daryl now. I didn't like the thought of it per say, but at least now Daryl didn't have to worry about keeping me safe all on his own.

"Everyone should start packing their things," Rick informed. "We should be ready by tomorrow."

With all that said and done, Rick turned heel and started to walk away, but he suddenly stopped. I couldn't see past him from where I was, but I heard him say Michonne's name. When Andrea stood up and practically ran forward I could only assume Daryl had returned with Michonne and Merle.

Relief washed over me knowing that they were all back, but when I got up to greet them, the only one that was standing there was Michonne. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest at the thought of him being dead and I felt Nate put a hand on my shoulder. It grounded me somewhat and I waited to hear what Michonne had to say.

"Merle let me go along the way," she finally said after receiving a hug from Andrea.

"I'm sorry that this happened, Michonne." I could hear the guilt in Rick's voice, but she just shook her head. "You had to consider it. It's not your fault."

I was glad she understood and wasn't about to kill all of us, but there was only one thing I needed to hear from her right now.

"Did you run into Daryl?" I asked shakily. "Is he...?"

"He was fine when I saw him," she answered. "He went on to stop Merle and told me not to let anyone follow."

I released the breath I had been holding and nodded my understanding. As far as I was concerned now, he was alive and well. Once he caught up to Merle, he'd head back and be here by night fall. There was nothing to worry about.

With all that sorted out, I decided to take my leave. Since we had to have everything packed up and ready to go for tomorrow, I figured getting it done by tonight wouldn't hurt. There wasn't much we had in terms of belongings, but from what we did have, I didn't want to lose anything.

There were various weapons laying around the room, so I started with those, but instead of packing them, I lay them out on a desk. I wanted Daryl to go through them before deciding what he did or didn't need. After that, my eyes caught sight of Daryl's poncho. I had no idea where he got it from or why he wanted it in the first place, but with a chuckle I folded it up neatly and put it in a bag. Personally, I prefered to have all of Daryl's shirts and jackets without sleeves or anything that covered his arms. Doing that was like throwing a trench coat over the statue of David. You just don't do that.

Shaking my head in disbelief of my train of thought, I continued on with the packing and got everything ready to go. It acted as a good distraction and by the time I finished, it was relatively late in the evening. My thoughts immediately jumped to why Daryl wasn't back yet, but when I made it onto the overhang of the cell block, my eyes found him talking to Rick.

A smile was instantly tugging on my lips, but when I took a closer look at Daryl, the smile faded. For one, Merle wasn't around, and two, the look on Daryl's face told me something was wrong. He was known for not expressing himself and for keeping straight faces, but this one was different. This one meant bad news.

I was about to head down the stairs towards him, but he beat me to it and it didn't take him long to get up to where I was. When he stopped infront of me I could see his calm facade starting to crack and I knew at that point that he had been putting a lot of effort into keeping a stoic mask on around the others.

I didn't waste another moment and within seconds I brought him into our cell. He didn't last much longer than that before his legs suddenly buckled and his face contorted in pain. For a brief moment, I couldn't believe what was happening. For as long a I've known him, I thought of Daryl as if he were indestructible. Seeing him like this though was new for me and for the first time, he truly looked volnurable and broken.

No thoughts were needed for me to be knelt infront of him and pulling him against my chest. His body shook as he cried into my shoulder and I couldn't help the tears that started forming in my eyes. Seeing him so distraught pained me and I'd give anything to make his hurt go away. I wished it was as simple as a snap of the fingers, but I knew that's not how life worked- especially now a days. Daryl needed time to mourn and get it out of his system, and I'd be there for every second of it.

* * *

**Footnote:**

I was going to post this yesterday, but my laptop shit the bed . I'm using my mom's prehistoric laptop right now and it's the first keyboard that I actually have to focus to type on... lol

If anyone noticed, a chapter in Footsteps has the same title as this one... I could make it seem all cool and say I did it on purpose because the other chap had Daryl snap at Riley, but in reality, I just can't come up with another name for this one. Let's just pretend I'm being really clever :)

On a totally unrelated note, does anyone play League of Legends? Cause if you do, you may understand the withdrawal I'm going through right now from not having a laptop that can handle games XD


	30. A Bitter Sweet End

**Shadows of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 30 - A Bitter Sweet End**

* * *

My first thoughts when I woke up that morning were of Daryl and why he wasn't still in bed with me. When he had calmed down enough last night, I got him cleaned up and in bed. He had blood splatters over his face, shirt, and hands, and while I was curious about it, I knew better than to ask. Even at that point of the night though, he wasn't willing to put any effort into anything but collapsing onto the bed. With that being the case, I removed his shirt and shoes, then wiped the blood and dirt off of him with a damp rag. Neither of us said anything as I did so and as he curled into my side with his head on my chest I could only hope that losing Merle wouldn't eat at him too much. It sounded cold, but he couldn't afford the distraction tomorrow.

The bed shifted slightly as I yawned and it didn't take me long after to realize that Daryl was sitting on the edge of the bed. I wasn't sure what to say or if I should even say anything, so I took the opportunity to sit behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. Daryl wasn't one to talk about his issues, so when he leaned back against me I knew I made the right decision.

"Where're you gon'na be today?"

His voice was quiet, but with my chin on his shoulder, he was easy to hear.

"I'll be with Hershel and Beth," I reassured. His hand found mine and I intertwined our fingers together. "You don't have to worry about me, just do what you have to do."

He nodded slowly, the feeling of his stubble rubbing against my cheek rough, yet soothing.

"Sorry 'bout last night... I jus-"

I shook my head quickly and squeezed his hand. "There's nothing to apologize for, Daryl."

He didn't disagree with me, but at the same time, he didn't agree either. I didn't want him to feel guilty for showing his pain, but as long as he didn't vocally disagree I knew he understood what I said. It was typical of him to just hide whatever was eating at him, but if he didn't find a way to release it, it would build up and end badly.

"Rick said he wanted everyone down there as early as possible," Daryl spoke up after a minute. "Best we get movin'."

I could tell he was just using that as a way out, but I wasn't going to stop him. If he needed something, I had faith that he'd come to me, weither he realized it or not. I wasn't going to stress myself over something like that when there were other, more concerning matters at hand.

Following his lead, I stood up and got dressed. I had set out a shirt and vest for Daryl last night, so he started putting them on. Neither of them had sleeves and I was happy with my choice.

"What happened to my poncho?"

The grin that had crept into my lips slowly faded at the thought of him putting on the poncho.

"I packed it in your bag. Figured you wouldn't need it."

I was hoping my hinting was enough, so when he nodded and slung the bag over his shoulder my grin returned.

"Thanks."

After scanning his weapons quickly, he placed them on various places on his person, then turned to kiss me on the forehead. It amazed me how a simple gesture like that could still make my heart flutter as if I were still a teen who's crush just waved at them. When there were things on the line that could lead to living or dying, something like butterflies in your stomach seemed so insignificant, but it was the small things that made living worth it.

Once we were both ready, we made our way down to the main cell block. Carol was packing up the food supply and directed us to take our stuff outside. It was quiet along the walk, but once we approached the vehicle, we could hear Rick and Carl talking, the latter sounding angry.

"I want to help too, dad. I can do it," Carl argued.

Rick looked frustrated, and while the whole Governor situation was stressful, I'm sure the added issue with Carl made it that much worse.

"Carl, I need you and Judith away from the fighting. I need you to be safe," Rick countered. "I know you can handle your own, but now's not the time."

"Then when is the time? You need me _now_."

I've never seen Carl so riled up before and Rick was clearly looking beyond done with the situation. I was never one to step into a family argument, but I wished there was some way to solve this. When Daryl spoke up though, I was more than surprised.

"There's enough of us stayin' at the prison," Daryl cut in as he tossed a bag into the truck. "What I do need you for, is to watch over Riley. Think you can do that for me?"

Carl looked over at me for a moment, then turned back to Daryl, still not looking happy about the situation. "She can defend herself. We all know that."

I felt a sense of pride at his statement, but then Daryl countered his point. I knew he was just trying to get Carl to go with me, so I let it slide.

"I've had ta save her ass more times than I can count." Daryl and Carl had a small stare down for a while before Daryl spoke again. "I'm askin' you 'cause I know if it came down to it, Beth an' Hershel wouldn't be much help. Can you do it or do I have to find someone else?"

Another minute went by before Carl finally nodded. The way Daryl handled that was oddly impressive. He had his doubts about being a parent, but clearly he could pull it off.

Without another word, Carl took off, a still unhappy looking expression on his face. He had finally agreed to staying out of the fight though and once he was out of earshot, I head Rick heave a sigh of relief. We could also be glad that Sophia wasn't causing a fuss too.

"Thanks, Daryl."

Daryl grunted his response and came over to take my bag from me. "Let's just get these guys out'ta here before that sum'bitch shows up."

Rick gave a nod and it wasn't long after that we were getting ready to move out. Hershel and Beth were saying goodbye to Maggie and Glenn, while Rick was holding Judith and sharing minimal words with Carl. The boy was still angry about being put on the sidelines, but it was for the better. He didn't need to see what was going to happen at the prison.

"So, how does it feel to be sidelined?" Aleah asked. She kept her tone even, but the teasing smirk on her lips gave away her intent.

I just rolled my eyes at her and pulled her in for a hug. "Just say goodbye and be safe, you little shit."

She laughed at my response and I heard Nate laugh as well. I figured he'd get a kick out of that too and once I was done with Aleah, I gave him a hug.

"I don't know how you put up with her," I commented lightly. "But you better keep her safe."

When I pulled back, he gave me a salute. Next in line for goodbyes was Daryl. He was talking to Carol and Sophia, so I gave them a minute. As soon a he noticed me though, I saw Carol nudge him towards me and I couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't say anything at first when he got to me, instead, he pulled me against his chest and held me there.

"When all this shit's done with, those showers might need some 'tention again. Looked like they could use a good cleanin'."

I couldn't help but laugh into his chest, glad he wasn't making this one of those sad goodbyes. After nodding against his chest, I pulled back slightly and found his lips with my own.

"Stay safe, alright?" I spoke up once we parted. "And put a bullet in that fucker's head for me."

He grinned at that last part and kissed me again before nodding.

After that, the few of us leaving piled into the van along with Thor and we were off into the forest. Daryl suggested a higher vantage point for us to stay at, so that's where we were headed. From there, we'd have some vision of the prison, but not quite enough to see exactly what was going on or be seen ourselves.

"So, Riley, are you hoping for a girl or a boy?"

It was Beth that spoke up a little while into the drive and while I was a bit flustered by the question, I figured I should start getting used to these kinds of questions sooner than later.

"I haven't really thought about it, but I know as soon as I prefer one, I'll get the opposite, so I think I'm just not going to answer."

Beth and Hershel laughed at my response, hell, even Sophia did, but when I turned to Carl, he had a somber look on his face. My smile instantly fell and I went to say something, but he beat me too it.

"Why are you guys so happy about it? You're just going to die."

His statement hit me hard and all I could do was just sit there quietly. I knew keeping this baby severely lowered my chances of living, but with the all support I've been given, I was able to push those thoughts to the back of my mind. Carl was blunt about it, but he had a valid point.

"That's no way to speak, Carl," Hershel cut in. "Things will be different this time."

I could tell Carl wanted to argue some more, but he stayed quiet after a quick glance at me. No one else spoke up either and it was safe to say it was thanks to the tension in the vehicle. I wasn't mad at Carl for pointing it out like that. It sucked that a young boy could see the flaws in our decision to keep the baby, but the decision had been made and I was going to see it through for as long as I could.

When we finally made it to the vantage point, we set up along an opening in the trees, making sure to keep an ear and eye open for the Governor. Needless to say, it wasn't an instant thing that happened, so after a while when Judith started to fuss, Beth brought her back to the van to feed her. I was starting to fall asleep by the time something finally happened and I'm sure the explosions that went off would have woken anyone miles away.

Just like Nate had predicted, the Governor's men went straight for the guard towers. I figured they'd use some form of assault rifle to do it, but by the looks of it, they were using noob tubes, or grenade launchers if you wanted to get technical. After that, they started using a mounted machine gun. I knew they had better guns than us, it was obvious even before his attack, but for fuck's sake, where did they get all these weapons?

Hershel seemed unnerved by the clear disadvantage the rest of our group was in, but he did his best to hide his uncertainty. I was worried now too, but there was nothing either of us could do to help at the moment. We just had to have faith that the ambush would work. If they had the weapon advantage, at least we'd have the element of surprise.

It didn't take the Governor's group long to enter the prison and from there on, I could only guess what was going on. I had no idea where our group was setting up or what they were planning, but when the Woodbury army started retreating from the prison, I couldn't help the grin from spreading on my lips. We'd really done it. We beat them. It seemed almost too good to be true and when I turned to Hershel a noise suddenly caught my attention. I spun round quickly and raised my crossbow towards the person that wandered into the clearing.

If I were to guess, the boy standing in front of us with a perplex and panicked look on his face was around sixteen. He had a gun in his hands, but by no means did it look like he was going to use it. I started to lower my bow, but it didn't look like Carl was going to budge. Even as the boy moved to put the gun down, Carl stayed put.

In the next moment, the blast of a gunshot went off and the boy in front of us dropped to the ground dead. My eyes were wide at what just happened and I turned to Carl, but I was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled backwards.

"Nobody moves or I kill her," the person behind me ordered.

I felt a gun barrel against the side of my head, but the man's arm around me was shaking. He must have seen Carl gun down the boy, so it was more likely that he was scared the same would happen to him- especially if Carl didn't lower his gun. The man was using me as a meat shield though and I doubted Carl's shot was good enough to shoot him without hitting me.

"You don't have to do this," Hershel stated calmly. "If you just let her go, we won't harm you. Please, she's pregnant."

I felt the guy's breath hitch for a moment against my back, but it didn't last long before he pointed he his gun towards the others.

"That van. I'm going to take it and I'm going to take her with me," the man informed, his voice shaking slightly. "Once I'm out of range, I'll let her go."

The gun returned to the side of my head and I knew this day wasn't going to end well. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to compose myself so I could keep my calm and when I opened them, I shared a look with Hershel. I was guessing he was looking for some sort of indication of what I wanted to do in this situation. I don't think this man wanted to kill me, but judging on his nerves, if we did something wrong, he might panic and who knows where the gun will be pointing at that time. Taking his offer may be for the best, but we'd also be losing all of our supplies.

"You're not taking the van," Carl declared.

He looked hell bent on killing this guy and it only added to the pit in my stomach.

"It's the only way this is going to end well, kid."

The guy must have sensed Carl's intent as well because his grip on me tightened. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Judith suddenly started crying from inside the van. What happened next was so quick I was barely aware of until I hit the ground. There was a gunshot from Carl, a searing pain in my upper chest, and another gunshot near my head. My ears rang and my vision swam, but when I looked up, Thor came running and jumped over me. I heard gurgling behind me before something hit the floor with a thud and then my Bernese was standing over me, snarling and growling. I could barely focus my vision, but the blood that dripped from Thor's mouth wasn't easy to miss.

"Beth, get the medical kit. Quickly."

Hershel's voice sounded distant and the second I looked down at my shoulder, I think I passed out for a second. The amount of blood seeping from the bullet wound would explain why I was so light headed. Even as I put pressure on it with my hand, my body started feeling numb.

"N-no Carl, you can't shoot Thor!" I could barely make out Sophia's voice, but I could tell she was crying. "Carl, please."

I must have slipped out of consciousness again because the next thing I knew, Hershel was hovering over me.

"Hang it there, Riley. Stay with me," he murmured.

I could barely feel him poking around at my shoulder, but I didn't even last long enough to try and focus. This time when everything faded, it stayed that way.

* * *

**Footnote:**

Sooooo, I'm going to end Shadows here- *hides from flying projectiles* -I swear I don't try to do this to you guys... and Riley, of course, but it just... gah, it had to be done >.

Also, if this chapter has weird formatting... it's not my fault, fanfic net has a weird doc editor now >.>

On a parting note, when you send me death threats about the cliffy, let me know what should happen in the sequel :P Season 4's already on episode 5, so that helps. Despite doing this to everyone, I do love you all, promise! 


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